Year of Residency: 2021
Mary Unger is an Idaho-based artist that works within digital and film photography- and mixed media. She has had pieces in group exhibitions on display in her alma mater of Idaho State University, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She also has works published in local Idaho art journals. Growing up, Mary’s grandmother was the center of her artistic inspiration; she would sit in the kitchen or on the stairs while her grandmother was drawing or crafting. Photography didn’t become a part of Mary’s art passion until she got her first digital camera as a Christmas present back in 2013. Since then, she has taken multiple film photography classes that had her hands-on to develop film and print them in a dark room. Since that fateful first class in 2017, she’s still hooked on film photography, which has solidified her passion for every other art medium she has practiced over the years.
Group Exhibitions
-Undergraduate Student Exhibition, Idaho State University, Art Department, Pocatello ID, April 2021
-Undergraduate Student Exhibition, Idaho State University, Art Department, Pocatello ID, May 2020
-First Friday Art Walk, Fine Arts Club via Idaho State University Department of Art, Pocatello ID, October 2019
-College of Southern Idaho Student Show, Department of Art, Twin Falls ID, May 2019
Solo Exhibitions
Senior Bachelor of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibit, CompARTment Gallery, Pocatello ID, 2021
Public Display
Film photography, Mocha Madness Coffee Shop, Pocatello ID, 2020-
Publications
Black Rock and Sage, Creative Publication, Idaho State University, 2020 Edition
Black Rock and Sage, Creative Publication, Idaho State University, 2021 Edition
Artist statement
Everything around me has inspiration within my art, which is evident in the work that I have created. I enjoy variety and improvisation when creating work and trying new methods to create a piece of art is what helps me excel in my art career. I experiment with all of my work and accept different outcomes and techniques as a fun way to create. With my figurative painting and drawing I was inspired by Lucian Frued’s artwork and how he used heavy brushstrokes and little refinement to create an expressive form. This technique creates a visible texture in painting or drawing that I am very fond of.
Emotion is also important in all my preferred mediums such as painting, drawing, or even printmaking. I think how the human psyche processes emotions is something that fascinates me. My desire to better understand this topic is also evident in my work. A good example of this is Feeling, a figurative drawing that combines India Ink and Graphite to portray a very tired feeling, which is what I know is an emotion a lot of people understand. I make my art by searching for and bringing out hidden emotions in both the viewer and what I create, as well as exploring unconventional and underlying emotions that exist inside us all while creating a mental conversation between the viewer and my artwork.