MEAGAN KRETT

Artist Statement

Nearly every culture has powerful figures, whether they be historical or mythological, that are embodiments of human ideals. Their purpose is to be a role model based on their physical beauty and morally just behaviour. The modern equivalent of such figures are “superheroes”. Superheroes are a cultural phenomenon meant to astound and amaze. They have appeared in numerous films, tv shows, books, comic books, and video games. Indeed, since a young age I too have been captivated by them -  from Xena the Warrior Princess to Sailor Moon. Yet, even to this day, there are significantly less women heroes compared to their male counterparts. White, straight, cisgender, able bodied men are the norm, anyone else is rarely represented. Since superheroes are completely fictional beings with fictional powers, there is no excuse as to why men are the only “worthy” embodiments of superheroes. In my project “Fight Me”, I cast “ordinary” people of varying ages, ethnicities, sexualities, social backgrounds, and physicalities as heroes and paint their portraits as warriors.It is my desire to shift the balance and create more women heroes and to expand the scope of women considered “heroic”. I collaborate with my models as they dictate how they would like to be represented. They decide the narrative and choose the armor they would like to be wearing from the extensive library in the video game World of Warcraft. Originally, this series started as a critique of how video games sexualize women. However, I decided rather than contribute to it as a form of critique, I’d rather just paint badass women. I think that is a stronger form of resistance, to take the impractical armor from video games and completely own it. My work is in part informed by historical representations of “powerful” figures. They are purposely referencing baroque and neoclassical portraits of important dignitaries, royalty, nobility, and biblical and mythological heroes. The portraits in my series are painted in a massive scale, which is not only a reference to how historically important people were represented, but also allows them to take up physical “space” within the gallery. Since there is a clear underlayer of humor in the portraits, the massive scale also forces the viewer to take it seriously. My chosen medium, oil paint, is also intentional as a reference to historical painting. It also allows the figures to be imbued with richness and “believability” that cannot be achieved in any other medium. While historical references are abundant, the paintings are also firmly placed in the present. The hairstyles, tattoos, and piercings of the model remain as references to modern dress. Most importantly, the painting’s setting and the armor are obvious references to video game culture and cosplay. This oscillation between past and present reinforces the need to address the past and the future and the lack of women heroes. Fight Me addresses the gap between those represented and those not, and celebrates diversity by painting people not as unattainable ideals, but as they are with their wrinkles, pimples, and double chins.