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QUILLS & QUEUES Quills & Queues: 'Methodical Affliction' deals with physical, emotional abuse Comment By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Apr. 14, 2016 at 1:28 PM By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Apr. 14, 2016 at 1:28 PM » Social News Despite the pervasive presence of abstraction and non-objective work in the American modern and contemporary art world, the figure in art has remained one of the most important and overarching aspects of expression in the visual arts since the creation of the Venus figurines. Most specifically, the Venus of Hohle Fels, created circa 40,000 BCE, is a potent emblem of the power and sexual charisma of the female form in antiquity. This week, on the occasion of Equal Pay Day, I went to visit a new show of work by Melissa Ghiglieri, a Rogue Valley-born visual artist who is in her final year at Southern Oregon University. Over the years she has displayed her work at St. Olaf College, California Baptist University, SOU, Grants Pass Historical Society, LIFE Art Gallery, and at other Rogue Valley locations. Her current show, "Methodical Affliction," deals with the psycho-sexual trauma of physical and emotional abuse of women. The paintings, which are relatively large-scale and painterly, are done in hues of purple, blue, brown and muddy yellow, evoking the type of bruises and lacerations borne by victims of abuse. While bruises may fade over time, psychological wounds remain, and the artist has captured the horrors of abuse in an unflinching and compelling way. Quills & Queues sat down with Ghiglieri to discuss her process. JG: In your artist statement, you mentioned that you could not tell if your subjects were physically or psychologically damaged. Having been so close to them, why do you feel you struggled to make that distinction? MG: Initially, my plan was to have two pieces that were painted in a similar style. I had just started oil painting at the beginning of last year, so the first two pieces of this series were for a class. I was experimenting with styles and colors, and found that I was drawn to using reds and purples for shading. This combination of colors naturally created a bruised look, which I made more obvious in some of my later pieces. I then chose poses for my subjects that further reinforced the idea of pain or abuse. I always painted the eyes last. I feel like the eyes are the most powerful part of most of my pieces. I wanted to convey an inner strength and resoluteness, despite the physical trauma. As I spent more time with my pieces, I questioned whether the bruising was physical, or whether it was the psychological being made evident in the physical. I think looking at the works in this way brings more attention to the abuse that is unseen, but that can be even more painful and damaging then what happens on the outside. JG: A couple of the images in the show bore significant resemblance to the artist. Was that a mistake? MG: Several people have asked me about that when viewing my show. One image in particular was taken from a photo of myself, so that one was obviously intentional. As for the other ones, any resemblance was unintentional. I think the one of me specifically was an interesting addition to the show because it made it more personal. Following the self­-portrait, I think it became more apparent to me that these could be internally wounded women exposing their pain in a more visual way. ­ JG: Sexual abuse of women of women is obviously a pervasive problem all over the world, and has long been a problem on college campuses. How do you feel that your show addresses that problem? MG: The issue of sexual abuse was not initially in my mind when I began creating these pieces, but over the last couple of months I have been thinking about issues of sexual abuse in relationship to my paintings. In one of my art history classes I did quite a bit of research on sex trafficking, and realized that some of my paintings could definitely depict that sort of abuse. I could have done more paintings that depicted the pain and shame of sexual abuse more specifically, but I chose to make it a more broad statement about the treatment of women in general. The concept of internal bruising on the outside also plays into the issue of sexual abuse because many women who have been on the receiving end of that sort of offense may not have visible signs. JG: Are there any organizations or groups regionally that you feel a kinship with in promoting solutions to the issue of sexual and psychological abuse towards women, and how can we as a community help to support those organizations? MG: Currently I am not involved or partnered with any organizations. But, through this project I have become more and more aware of all sorts of abuse towards women as a prevalent issue in our society. I think it is important for everyone to see the emotional turmoil that many women go through, and I feel that I have been successful if I can capture a glimpse of that turmoil through my paintings. It has become an issue that is important to me; I hope to partner with organizations that share the desire to help women out of harmful and abusive situations. JG: It's a strong show, Melissa. Thank you for taking the time to walk us through it. "Methodical Affliction: Paintings by Melissa Ghiglieri" is on view through April 22 in the Thorndike Gallery, one of the Center for the Visual Arts (CVA) Galleries, next door to the Schneider Museum of Art at Southern Oregon University . Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Daily Tidings columnist, arts reviewer and freelance writer. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Apr. 14, 2016 at 1:28 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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