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Mary K. Connelly

“If you wish to get hold of the invisible you must penetrate as deeply as possible into the visible. My aim is always to get hold of the magic of reality and to transfer this reality into painting — to make the invisible visible through reality. It may seem paradoxical, but it is, in fact, reality which forms the mystery of our existence.” —Max Beckmann

Mary K. Connelly creates intimate paintings of room interiors that are a distillation of perception and memory, where color and light convey a world psychologically and spiritually charged. Architectural space is used as a formal and conceptual device to establish tension and duality between the interior and exterior worlds. As “home,” interior space signifies for Connelly the conditions of both entrapment and private repose. The interior also serves as a metaphor for consciousness, as a chamber for reflection and introspection. The practice of perceptual painting is central to Connelly’s work — the artist believes it is possible to transcend “self” through a responsive and empathetic relationship to the visual world.

Born in 1961, Mary K. Connelly was raised in Belleville, New Jersey. She earned her BFA in painting at Washington University in St. Louis and received an MFA in painting at Indiana University in Bloomington. Recently awarded “First Place” in the 10th International Open 2007 at the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, Connelly was awarded a solo show at the gallery in 2008. Upcoming shows in 2007 include a solo exhibition at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in August, and a three-person show at Stanford University in the fall. Her work will be featured in the upcoming 2007 edition of The William and Mary Review. The artist currently resides in Denver and is an Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center.