Elise Dodeles

I have been drawing, painting and exhibiting my work for more than 30 years. My work has been shown in various cities throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. My early artwork consisted of tightly rendered drawings of figures depicted in relationship to one another and to the viewer. They were erotic and somewhat controversial in nature. I was exploring issues of power in relationships: who has it and who doesn’t and why. I often used my own form to explore issues of identity, and to further my understanding of drawing and painting methods. I am still interested in depicting powerful images of people in my present work, expanding my subject matter to include athletes, entertainers, and often anonymous individuals who I discover in older, usually black and white photographs. My research for these paintings allows me to incorporate my passions for special collections librarianship and archives. I am especially interested in depicting those people I consider outsiders, or people who have not received the sort of flattery and attention our society reserves for the very few. Most recently, I have been the recipient of a 2013 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.