Ginger Conroy

Portraiture ranging from formal representation to work dealing with the notions of personal grooming and the cultivation of beauty have led me, in my most recent work, to investigate the mythos surrounding deformity and anomalous physical structures. Narrative figuration motivates me to investigate interior psychological spaces; oils encourage me to revive an interest in classical ideals of beauty. My work is influenced by a range of styles spanning from Currin to Bourgereau, but these works are also informed by contemporary interests surrounding reconstructive surgery shows and biochemically altered foods.

It is vital to the concept of the work that I take what I know of each sitter personally and complement it with a superimposed medical history of a specific medical case. For instance, in Parasitic Twin I used the existing history of Egyptian born baby Manar Maged, who had been born with a partial twin, considered parasitic due to her lack of a set of her own functioning primary organs. As the case history goes, when Manar and her dependent sister were born, each had their own distinct personality and sleep patterns. But through a very directed experience of lack of stimulation, by Manar’s tenth month she was physically developed enough to withstand a separation, but the parasitic twin had gone basically comatose due to a complete lack of attention. I was so horrified by this case I reacted by considering the impact of a different outcome and applying it to my own image, subconsciously expressing my conflicted state at thetime with decisions in my career and personal life.

By mapping real and imagined identity, I wish to lead the viewer to ponder the limitations of a person, of human beings, and also their transcendence. The work is 80% internal view; I wish to show a portrait of the insides of a person.

Tim Shaving, oil on canvas, 16 x 20″, 2004-06

Loti Shaving, oil on canvas, 16 x 20″, 2005

Parasitic Twin, oil on canvas, 2′ x 3′, 2006