INNER WORLDS
THE ARTWORK OF MARGARET MINARDI presents images that explore and reveal the psychological states of her sitters. Using dynamic posing and lighting, the artist draws and paints with a compelling realism to create memorable and affecting presences. Often her work features a young woman deeply immersed in the act of drawing or painting, seemingly lost in a hypnotic trance brought about by the intense and obsessive nature of her task. These figures are joined by a variety of images, textures and patterns that expand the portraits to multilevel explorations of the sitters and their worlds.
CONTROLLED COMPLEXITY
An intriguing feature of Minardi’s dense and visually rich work is the use of what she calls “digital mono-types.” The artist recounts, “When I discovered this process, I was thrilled because it has the look of a lithograph. The most important thing is a piece of laminate that’s included in every box of Epson printing paper. You print the image onto this as you would onto a piece of paper, using an inkjet printer. Then, with a spoon, you press the image onto a sheet of hot-pressed or bond paper. The picture transfers quite easily. You can then draw into the print or just leave it as is.” The resulting grainy image has a richness
