2007 Runner-up
Cynthia Greig—Representations

Editorial Statement
The stack of tea-stained cups and saucers elicits a double take. It has the tell-tale outline of an illustration, yet it is exceptionally three-dimensional. In other intriguing images ghostly pale books have lifelike pages while an old-school TV looks like it’s been plucked from the backdrop of a stage set.

In this series called Representations, Cynthia Greig toys with the “concept of photographic truth and its correspondence to perceived reality.” To construct an image, the artist selects an object and “whitewashes” it with paint—occasionally leaving remnants of its natural color—and then draws an outline onto it. Finally, she photographs the muted subject in color. Greig calls these creations “photographic documents of three-dimensional drawings.”

This meta system involving a minimalized palette, real-world objects, and photography provides a thoughtful riff on trompe l’oeil. At the same time, through artistry and a bit of humor, Greig questions the deeper polarities between drawing and photography, color and black-and-white, and even one and three dimensions.

As an added bonus, the artist notes that the project’s conceit is a playful homage to William Henry Fox Talbot’s Pencil of Nature and his discovery of “the art of photogenic drawing.” —SC

Artist’s Bio
Cynthia Greig was born in 1959, in Detroit, where she lives today. She has an MFA from the University of Michigan School of Art + Design, Ann Arbor; an MA in art history from the University of Iowa, Iowa City; and a BFA in printmaking from Washington University, St. Louis. Her work is held in various collections, including George Eastman House, Rochester, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and Seattle Arts Commission. Greig is represented by Nicole Fiacco Gallery, Hudson, New York, and Wall Space in Seattle. To see more of her work, go to www.cynthiagreig.com or www.modogallery.com or www.wallspaceseattle.com