Out of the Shadows: New Paintings by Eileen Dorsey

Eileen Dorsey’s exhibit Out of the Shadows, due in Summer 2020 when COVID-19
permits, will show her trajectory as an artist, including colorful landscapes as well as abstraction.

Eileen Dorsey has been a fixture in the Cleveland art scene for nearly a decade and has gained both critical and popular acclaim. Eileen is known for colorful and pigment-rich forestscapes and landscapes. Her work draws you in with her use of light and well-composed canvases.

Eileen’s new works will be featured at Cain Park this summer, and they are an invitation to view the artist in a new light. Out of the Shadows will reflect where Eileen has been as an artist and where she is going—where she wants to go. Eileen is as at a crossroads as an artist: although known for one thing, her artist instincts are now taking her in a different direction. Though there is a through-line from her well-known work to what she has produced for Out of the Shadows; it is clear that she is ready to take a different path built on the strong foundations of her past paintings.

Eileen’s new paintings feature figures, faces, spaces, and hidden symbolism. There is an autobiographical twist and tinge to these paintings as she faces transition in both in her personal and professional life. Her continued use of bold colors with strong composition ties us to her older work, while navigating us towards a new side of herself. The body language she portrays in her Self Portrait is of someone being closed off, a person who is somewhat hidden. The idea of a self-portrait is to expose oneself, to tell a story of oneself. Eileen is beginning to tell that story through this piece, but at her own pace. She is present, but not fully exposed—hidden behind quick, bold brush strokes that are painterly but purposeful. Her new works also reveal her experimentation with color blocking, the use of color throughout a composition, and the insertion of figures. Her use of these techniques will carry your eyes through her paintings. There is no doubt that Eileen’s new work is bringing her Out of the Shadows both literally and figuratively: she is engaging in a new conversation with herself and her viewers. Even in this new light, you will want to take your time viewing this work at Cain Park. There is much to be revealed beyond the shadows.

 

OUT OF THE SHADOWS: NEW PAINTINGS BY EILEEN DORSEY | OPENING SUMMER OF 2020

Due to COVID-19, dates are yet to be determined and cancellations are possible.

 

CAIN PARK

Feinberg Art Gallery

14591 Superior Road

Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118

cainpark.com

216.371.3000