The Sweet Life Revisited

All experience involves both space and time, as does most representation, in one way or another. For me, at least, reality always comes down to stories. In painting descriptive, outward realities, I am also describing people and places as human situations that carry implied narratives, which stretch out beyond the moment shown. Mostly, the situations I depict are quiet and domestic, which usually makes for still compositions and stories that are more internal than external.

I want to defy the stillness of the painting, to portray a layered narrative where the residues of the past and suggestions of the future swirl around the present, creating a kind of “thick time”. To accomplish this, I use the scattered signs of daily existence to communicate accidental yet honest storylines that provide indirect insight into the cadence of daily life.

Nicole McCormick Santiago received her BFA in Studio Art from Indiana University in 1999 and her MFA in Painting from the University of New Hampshire in 2003.  She has since taught at several institutions including; University of New Hampshire, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, New Hampshire Institute of Art, Oregon State University, and Berea College.  She currently holds the position of Associate Professor at the College of William & Mary where she teaches Drawing and Color Theory.  Her work has appeared in such publications as the Artist’s Magazine and the International Painting Annual 1 (INPA-1).   Nicole has shown in over 80 group, juried, and solo exhibitions. She is currently represented by First Street Gallery in New York.