Caro Dranow
New England
“Popham Dusk”
Painting
Artist Statement:
As an artist who grew up in and around the beauty of New England, I have an immense appreciation and love of the natural world. Now, as an emerging artist in 2020, I can confidently say my love of the environment has inspired me to spread shine on the world around me. It is easy to be anxious about the uncertainty of our times but I have found that art provides a cathartic way to connect my creativity to a sense of activism. As a femminist and environmentalist, I see a strong connection between the oppression of women and pollution of the environment. In my own art I paint emotionally layered landscapes in order to spark larger conversations about these topics. In crafting these luminous landscapes with glazing and transparencies, I try to speak to a softness and resilience that I see in the land that inspires me. While my work comprises both landscapes and portraiture, it is all motivated by the same love of the earth and its creatures. History, mythology, and legends have collectively labeled the natural world as feminine which has been used as a tool to demean it. The patriarchal power structures have created binaries which connect man/woman and human/nature respectively. I insert my work in this narrative and challenge the historically male tradition of landscape painting. Instead of depicting the awesome beauty of the environment with exaggeration and amplification as the artists who I studied have, I form my landscapes by layering tones and creating an emotional impression. In doing so, I acknowledge the tradition of Bierstadt, Turner, and Constable while modifying the treatment of the subject to a modern ecofeminist lens that addresses the urgency of the climate crisis.
Bio:
Caro Dranow is an emerging artist based in New England. A recent graduate of Bowdoin College, her work explores feminine strength and beauty through portraiture. She paints dynamic female figures who derive their power from their colorful environments and in relation to each other. Modeled off of the women in her life, Caro considers her work autobiographical portraiture. Caro is inspired by her identity and experience as both a woman and a member of the LGBTQ community and strives to create inclusive portraits. At 22, she has shown her work internationally at premier galleries in Florence, Italy and Falkirk Scotland. Most recently, Caro has shown at the Greenpoint Gallery in New York City and has upcoming shows this Spring in and around New England. In addition to her gallery representation, she has been an honored recipient of the Robert and Blythe Grant for the Arts in Maine as well as the Ginestrelle Art Residency in Assisi, Italy. In addition to her emerging professional practice as an artist, Caro is an ardent teacher running community workshops for children and adults alike in Brunswick, Maine. Caro aspires to attend grad school and obtain her MFA in order to teach at a university and spread her passion for art.