Out of the Void

An Exhibition of Painting and Prints by Roger and Martha McCoy
September 2 – November 11

Over the last 52 years, Martha and Roger McCoy have profoundly influenced their individual development as artists. This show is about those processes, critiques, and encouragements that have affected their work and who they are.

Roger’s work is focused on finding a visual idea that expresses the human condition, while Martha’s art emphasizes her dreams and poetry. The process of making art is the same. They both believe in the importance of having not only an open mind free from any precise outcome, but also one that catches and expresses what is true and hopefully beautiful. It is this attitude that allows them to freely dance with the void of the working surface and to explore the unknown mystery within them, which is both horrific and sublime.

Roger’s work tends to be more rational, while Martha’s work leans towards the irrational. A work of art that is strictly rational will only be a lifeless corpse, and work that is solely produced from an irrational point of view will be just a chaotic mess. An insightful image must include its opposite to be consequential. This is one example of where their differences have helped them produce more substantial work and personal growth.

This artistic partnership over a lifetime has made them healthier and more psychologically integrated. As Marion Woodman, a psychoanalyst and writer, states: “A life truly lived constantly burns away veils of illusion, burns away what is no longer relevant, gradually reveals our essence, until, at last, we are strong enough to stand in our naked truth.”