Rosalyn Schwartz: A Brief History of Seduction

For the fifteenth presentation in the ARTMATTERS series of work by contemporary artists, the McNay brings together paintings and collages by Illinois-based Rosalyn Schwartz. Schwartz’s work finds inspiration in décor, elements of kitsch, interior design, and references to art history. By juxtaposing representational and abstract imagery with decorative motifs and patterns, Schwartz asks the viewer to consider questions of accepted style and personal taste: “While explicit in their unapologetic allure, my paintings present a contemporary investigation of the quintessential conflict between our notions of beauty and futility, perfection and impossibility.” Schwartz received a BFA from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, and an MFA from Fontbonne University, St. Louis. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally and she has received a number of awards and fellowships including an Arts Midwest/NEA Fellowship Grant in Painting, as well as a McKnight Foundation Fellowship, and a Bush Foundation Fellowship. In 2014, the McNay includes Schwartz’s work in the summer feature exhibition, Beauty Reigns: A Baroque Sensibility in Recent Painting. An illustrated gallery guide accompanies this exhibition.