Caro Dranow is an emerging artist based in New England. A recent graduate of Bowdoin College, her work explores feminine strength and beauty through a combination of landscapes, portraiture, and collage. This body of work stems from experience protesting, volunteering, and advocating in America’s current political climate. Since The 2016 Election, Caro has created collages daily, using print images from various news outlets. These illustrative collages are meditations on current events, and create a visual commentary on the state of America as well as her own state of mind. By using the news as a primary source, Caro infuses the materiality of the subject with its meaning, and grounds her craft in a timely specificity. At 22, she has shown her work internationally at premier galleries in NYC, Florence, and London. Most recently, Caro has shown at the Ethan Cohen Gallery and New Apostle Gallery in New York City. In addition to her gallery representation, she has been an honored recipient of the Robert and Blythe Grant for the Arts as well as the Key West Studios Residency. In addition to her emerging professional practice as an artist, Caro is an ardent teacher running community workshops for children and adults alike in Brunswick, Maine. Caro aspires to attend grad school and obtain her MFA in order to teach at a university and spread her passion for art.
Collaging the Collective: An Evolving Impression of American Life
Although I have garnered my reputation and based my emerging career as a painter, I consider myself an interdisciplinary artist. Through painting, collage, and clay,
I attempt to render a melancholic optimism that comments on failings of the American dream. I want to do more than just be a compassionate witness in times of such violent civic unrest. Using both figurative and abstract motifs, often featuring newspaper clippings, my work meditates on public events as well as my inner life. In doing so I consider my artistic practice a private act of resistance, one that reflects my commitment to being grounded in the discomfort of the present as well as speaks to the potential of a cultural transformation.
To view more of Caro Dranow’s work please visit their website.