Mary Bess Acree

Artist Statement

I illustrate digitally, in ink, in acrylic, and occasionally print in silkscreen, and I'm inspired by traditional tattoo art, Scandinavian folk art, and the psychedelic art of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Creating graphic work with harmony between bright, saturated colors is my favorite challenge to tackle.

I like to incorporate an introspective and sometimes surrealist twist into my work, exploring the vague, strange, and unfamiliar feelings we can run into when we search a little too deep within ourselves. What happens in our inner worlds can be symbolic and meaningful, but sometimes it can just be really weird without explaining itself, and I love to make art that rides the line between the two.

The cyclops is a recurring character in my artwork that has followed me since I turned 18. I don't remember creating them, they just appeared in my dream journal one day, and since then they've helped me express my deepest feelings that I can't quite articulate with words. I felt that since they followed me through my college years, they deserved a place in my thesis collection: the culmination of four years of intense, difficult and rewarding growth.

View more of Mary's work here.

IMAGE GALLERY

Click through to enlarge and view individual artworks from Mary's thesis project.