Intimate and Ordinary:
The Works of Elizabeth De Bethune
On View: April 25 - June 8
Reception: TBA
De Bethune creates authentic images that dignify diverse truths through humble domesticity. In a climate of political demonization, her art serves as a powerful counterforce, advocating for visibility and acceptance tby capturing people engaged in a space and neutral atmosphere. 'Intimate and Ordinary' encapsulates the unprofound as means of inviting us into our humanity.
Artist Statement
“I am a Yonkers, New York based representational image-maker and visual storyteller, making pictures of intimate and quotidian life, people, places and things; situations familiar but singular in their specificity. My imagery develops from observation and daily cell-phone photographic notetaking; they reflect my vision and experience and note the poignancy in our awareness of the ordinary. I see stories in the off-note moments, the seemingly unnoticed and intimate, the space between the beats of action. I work two-dimensionally with paint, drawing materials, collage and printmaking, within a painterly realist vernacular, with an active drawn line and open brush stroke. Although my images are often illusionistic, I stay connected to their objectness. I am influenced by modernist representation’s informal, subjective gaze and cinematographic qualities. People engaged in a space, and the implied story, is the heart of my narrative impulse. Because I am a member of the LGBTQ community, much of my work becomes about queer representation. I feel the need to make visible the LGBTQ world in all our variable splendor and ordinariness, with authentic images that dignify our diverse truths, in hopes of countering the current political demonization of LGBTQ folks. My most recent project was a series of 14 formal portraits, twelve of which were painted in the fall of 2023, with the help of an ArtsAlive grant from ArtsWestchester, of members of the Yonkers LGBTQ community, which culminated in an exhibit at the White Plains Library Museum Gallery this past winter. The formal nature of these portraits is unusual for me, as I am more typically engaged with the way that people occupying space as they go about their lives tells a story. The images in this exhibit, “Intimate and Ordinary” typify my usual interest in the space of privacy and domesticity.”
About Elizabeth
Elizabeth, hailing from Wellesley, Massachusetts, is the product of a bustling household, one of ten siblings born to a distinguished Boston College Chemistry Professor and a nurturing homemaker/Respiratory Therapist. Her artistic journey commenced early, with drawing serving as her primary form of expression. Surrounded by creative influences, including her aunt, a noted religious artist, and a mother deeply engaged in Maria Montessori's educational principles, Elizabeth's childhood was imbued with imaginative storytelling and exploration.
Formally educated at esteemed institutions such as Yale University and SUNY Purchase, Elizabeth's commitment to her craft is unmistakable. With a rich tapestry of experiences, including internships, fellowships, and teaching roles spanning three decades, she has cemented her place in the artistic community.
Currently, Elizabeth operates from her home studio barn, where she continues to delve into the realm of narrative painting. Recent exhibitions, such as "Out in Yonkers, Portraits from the Yonkers LGBTQ Community," and "Every Picture Tells a Story; Narrative Paintings and Composite Images," showcase her enduring dedication to her craft, even amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic.
In addition to her artistic pursuits, Elizabeth is a valued faculty member at the Pelham Art Center and an esteemed contributor to CritLab since 2022. Her unwavering commitment to artistic expression serves as a beacon of inspiration to aspiring artists and seasoned professionals alike.