Megan Euker – Artist Statement

My paintings are concerned with ritualistic human interaction. I have been working on paintings about cultural-specific water-immersion and bathing rituals. I am currently painting scenes of people bathing in a Russian Bath house in Chicago, which is a natural progression from my previous paintings of people bathing in sulfuric springs in Italy, and romantic couples bathing in their homes. Starting in August 2007, after living in Italy, I began a series of paintings based on a free-to-the-public, natural, sulfuric spring in Italy, called Parco Della Mola. Italians go to both hot and cold natural springs, and have long believed that these waters have healing properties --- that the waters heal anything from respiratory ailments to the liver to the skin. After about 6 months of painting these Italian scenes, I decided to go to Chicago's oldest Russian bath house to see what rituals and beliefs (concerning bathing) exist in Russian culture. I observed (and took part in) the Russians sitting in the 120° room, using dried branches and leaves to hit each others backs (which improves circulation) and the Mexicans (who share the space with the Russians) washing each other with cloths dipped in large buckets of soapy water. They have buckets of cold water, which they dump over their heads when the heat becomes overwhelming. Overall, I am interested in the portrayal of everyday human interaction in such a way that it becomes ritualistic, through the way I compose the picture and construct the gesture of the figure, describing an intimate moment between a couple or community of strangers. Although my work is very place and cultural specific, it is not recognizably so --- the rituals are quite universal and could take place anywhere from Rome to Morocco to New Jersey.  I always base my paintings on places I actually go to, and people I actually observe. I usually work on very large paintings, so that the figures are at least life-size. I paint very fast and aggressive and rework the surface, changing it many times until I realize my final image.

Artist Statement 6-3-08