Deborah Douglas, M.F.A.
Professor
Fine and Performing Arts
Courses Taught
Approaching the Arts, Contemporary Art Since 1980
Education
M.F.A., Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
Practice Areas
As an artist, Douglas has been exhibiting professionally for nearly 20 years. Her exhibition record includes numerous local and national institutions and galleries. Besides her work as a practicing artist, Douglas has had the opportunity to present lectures to arts organizations, serve as juror for other events and exhibitions and contribute artworks to auctions benefiting a variety of local institutions.
Research Interests
As an artist, Douglas works with two dimensional materials, including painting, drawing, collage, and printmaking. Since graduate school she has worked to develop a personal vocabulary of imagery and mark making that speaks to her interest in the balance of form and content. Her work deals with the juxtaposition of color, pattern and form with a postmodern sensibility. Combining these elements with various stylistic tendencies creates a personal narrative that allows Douglas to explore her own personal experiences on a conceptual basis while working within the construct of formalism. By placing seemingly disparate imagery together within the confines of the picture plane, Douglas create relationships and meaning that speak to who she is. This dichotomy is at the heart of all the art she makes. Images are derived from the ideas of a nostalgic past, of longing, and of loss, from high and low art, from her knowledge of art history, from popular culture and from objects and ideas close to her. Douglas does this work because it is a way that she can communicate with others about her own life and the world around her.
Publications and Media Placements
Douglas's work has been featured in New American Painting vols.41 and 23 (nee Touhill). She has had reviews in publications including the Kansas City Star, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Intermission Magazine and the Riverfront Times.
Professional Organizations and Associations
Faculty mentor to the Art History Club