Arts & Entertainment

Five Minutes with Artist Eleanor McGough

The Minneapolis artist opened an exhibit at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center this week.

Painter Eleanor McGough delights in the smallest things in life — microscopic organisms living all around us in the kitchen, on our skin, and floating in the air.

For a little less than a month, the Burnsville public will be able to see a selection of her paintings at the . The collection of acrylic paintings represents three years of work at her studio in the Northrup King Building, produced from 2008 to 2011.

Burnsville Patch caught up with McGough for just a few minutes at the opening on Thursday.

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Q: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? I'm originally from Washington state, but I've lived in the Twin Cities for 20 years. I've been painting for over two decades, since high school. I studied at the Kansas City Art Institute.

Q: What inspires your work? These paintings are based around pattern, forms from biology, nature and textiles and the way these things speak to the interconnectedness of life. I like to have lots of layers in my paintings. A viewer may see from a distance that the painting is red and black, then get up close and see minute patterns. I like them to be slowly discovered.

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Q: How do you acquire the knowledge you need to make these paintings? I describe my style as "nature abstraction." It's inspired by daily life, from owning a microscope to gardening, just being a person in the world. It's just what's all around us. 

Q: Can you describe your artistic technique? I start in a random way with paint application, chance marks. Then I decide what stays. After that, I switch modes to tight, delicate drawing. I like both ways of working.

Q: Who are your favorite painters? Pierre Bonnard, Pat Steir, and I also like traditional Asian art, Asian scrolls.

McGough's work will be on display at the BPAC until Feb. 25.


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