Pictured above in Austin, TX studio
I want to evoke an awareness within the observer of what it means to be subjected to passive viewership of oneself - to be reduced to objectification.
Central to my exploration is the interplay between viewer and subject matter, particularly focusing on female identity. Employing both abstraction and figuration, the figures in my compositions serve as focal points amidst vibrant, textured environments. Yet, these figures are not static; they are fragmented, their forms enlarged and displaced - a deliberate fracturing that underscores their discomfort under scrutiny. Their poses serve to intensify this, along with their saturated red and yellow skin tones. In recent works, I have introduced elements such as window panes. I chose this to be a subtle reminder of the voyeuristic relationship between the observer and the observed.
Through these compositions, I actively challenge the passive portrayal of women as mere subjects, urging viewers to confront the complexities of perception and power dynamics inherent in the act of looking.
Who am I?
“Via Boley is a professional artist whose work has been shown in various art spaces, in Boston, Massachusetts, and Austin, Texas. She holds a BFA from the Mass College of Art, where she was recognized with various awards, including but not limited to, the 2021 Gamblin Paint Award, the Roger Tibbetts Art Award, and the Artist and Craftsman supply award. She recently completed an artist residency at Cow House Farm in Wicklow, Ireland, which further enriched her artistic vision. Boley is currently working in her studio in Austin, Texas, primarily in oil painting.”
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2022 Special Merit - Northern Light Gallery
2021 Departmental Honors
2021 Gamblin Paint Award
2021 Roger Tibbetts Auction Award
2020 Nominee for the 2020 Yale Norfolk Summer Program
2020 Artist and Craftsman Supply Award
2019 FA2D Award
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2018/21 BFA Massachusetts College of Art and Design
2017 Lesley College of Art
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2024 Studio A20, Second Saturday
2024 Unboredroom, Silent Auction
2024 MotherShip Studios, Lacuna Vitae
2024 Art Center Waco, Small Works Show
2024 Highland Collective, Small Works Show
2024 Convergence SXSW
2023 ContraCommon Juried Regional Exhibition
2023 Cloud Tree Studios and Gallery
2022 Northern Light Gallery Exhibition
2021 Massachusetts College of Art and Design Annual Auction
2019 MassArt
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2022/23 Create! Magazine Issue 34
2022/23 Mutiny Market
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2023 Cow House Studios Ireland