The theme of my current work is to take a contemporary view at classical myth and Neoclassical work, particularly the way that women are portrayed in these stories and works. Unfortunately, almost all of these women are nothing but objects of lust and rape. They are usually masked under the terms of being seduced or ravished. Ever since childhood I have been interested in Greek mythology. However, because of getting older and more educated, I have started to see the myths in a new light.  In general, the ancient Greek culture is the backbone of our modern Western society, and the general public has an unrealistic view of ancient Greek culture. They had very strange customs, such as pedophilia, that we today consider wrong; their myths carry the same morals that for some reason, many people overlook. In my work I try to show my view of theses myths and neoclassical works pertaining to these myths. As a young woman growing up and reading these myths I have always wanted to identify myself with one of the female characters.  This was always difficult because the women were always being raped, were Aphrodite, or were extreme virgins.  

I work with oils for the most part for the richness in color. I also work with watercolor some and I tend to use it rather thickly.  I try to get my watercolors to look like my oils.  Oils give me more freedom of texture whether it is from mixing sand into my paint, scraping or carving away paint, or just the texture from a palette knife.  I like to mix coarse sand into my oil paint in response to older Neoclassical paintings where the female is always painted very soft. I do not consider myself a figural painter even though figures do appear in my paintings. I do not tend to use a realistic setting for my paintings but try to create space without using traditional atmospheric perspective.

In my work I try to correct some of the Neoclassical paintings and sculptures.  The women in these works always appear very soft and wanting to be touched so I have created their skin to be rough and possibly wanting to be touched but not at all for the same reason. Neoclassical works almost always show the woman as enjoying herself and usually weak.  I try to show a stronger type of woman who is actually showing signs of struggle and pain that corresponds correctly to her fate. I want to go beyond just showing illustrations of the Greek myths. I also want to avoid just reproducing more of these women who are being shown as victims.

The bulk of my work deals with the women of myth and the roles they play. The more and more that I do research I am finding that it was not the Greeks who did the images that I am finding fault with, but the later generations of western culture trying to revive classical Greece.

Pricing Information:
See Website for more details.  Watercolors, Oils, and sculptures range from around $100-$2000.

Artist Statement/Bio:
Bonnie Fillenwarth is a native to central Indiana. Bonnie received her Bachelor’s degree in Painting from the IUPUI Herron School of Art and Design in 2009. Her work has been shown in various areas in the Indianapolis area as well as in Europe. She works mainly with oils and watercolor, but also does some sculptures as she considers herself an artist first and a painter second.

Among the greatest influences of her art is travel. In the summer of 2009 she traveled to Pont-Aven France to attend the Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art, living with a host family, spending time in the Bois d' Amour, and doing various projects in the woods and in the studio. For the summer of 2008 she traveled to Athens and the Island of Paros in Greece. She studied at the Aegean Center of the Arts. It was, in part, her study of ancient Greek culture during this time that inspired the main theme of her artwork.

Bonnie’s current work deals with looking at the women portrayed in classical mythology and neoclassical artwork. The stories have been around for thousands of years, have been copied from scrolls to codexes, and are still a part of western culture today. As a result many people are familiar with these myths but may not have realized the extent of the sexist ways in which women are too often represented. There is a widespread, unrealistic view of ancient Greek culture, and Bonnie’s work seeks to change the general public’s view of the roots of western culture into a more realistic one.

Education:
2005-2009 IUPUI Herron School of Art and Design, Indianpolis, IN

2009 Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art, Pont Aven, France

2008 Aegean Center for the Arts, Parikia, Island of Paros, Greece

2009-2011 Pont Aven School of Contemporary Art Membership

2009- Present Indy Pit Crew Spay/Neuter Committee Member and Volunteer

2008- Present IMA Membership

2005-2009 Active Student Artists Association, Member

2003-2005 National Art Honors Society, Project Manager

2009, Fehnel Scholarship for 2009 Pont-Aven Program

2009 Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art/Reed Foundation Scholarship