By Anthony Miles —
The art of Elizabeth Harney, 24, BFA Painting/ Drawing major from Toms River, is all about power and masculinity. Her art show and senior thesis entitled “The Difference is Distance” examines a Western perspective on authority.
“A lot of power symbols are masculine, or based on a masculine point of view,” Harney says. Ironically, Harney’s canvasses are full of power and it’s her female perspective that brings those symbols to life.
Harney is a magician. Her monochromatic paintings, based off photos, are of the hands of “powerful white men” like Brian T. Moynihan, President and CEO of Bank of America; Mike Duke, CEO of Wal-Mart; John Allen, four-star general; and even Pope Benedict XVI.
They were created using only a thin layer of black acrylic paint while giving the illusion that white paint was also used— a talent that takes a lot more precision than pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
As she decrees in her artist’s statement, her intent is “to bring attention to and contradict the distance created between the self and the superior other.” Through this, she hopes people will reevaluate decisions made by authoritative figures who, in reality, are very distant from the lives they impact.
A crowd favorite was her painting Mike Duke. The intricate line-work and shading create a realistic version of the CEO’s hands. His checkered tie was slanted to the right— a subtle hint at corruption in the corporate sector? Perhaps.
Judith Shea, well-known sculptor and artist from Manhattan, also attended the opening reception. Through NJCU’s Co-Op Program, Harney was Shea’s assistant in the Spring 2012 semester.
“I think she is really amazingly talented. She was great to work with, but then at a certain point I said ‘I would love to see what you’re doing’,” Shea states.
“The images are strong, and the content is interesting. They are very beautifully made,” she continues.
Rafal Rogoza, 26, NJCU graduate from Jersey City, says that Harney’s work is “very politicized and it can engage anybody. You don’t have to necessarily know anything about art to come here and look at this stuff.”
Now, every magician has a signature trick and Harney’s comes in the form of an MQ-9 Drone. The MQ-9, also called an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is used by the U.S. Air Force and other intelligence agencies during war. These stealth war machines are remote-controlled and capable of fighting from the skies without putting ground soldiers in harm’s way.
Elizabeth drops her own drone on the bare white gallery walls. Her hand-made woodcut print was so massive that it stretched past the width of an entire wall. However, there was not enough space to show off more of her artistry. Her drone, the largest piece, demanded more space.
“The print is sized to scale, matching the 66’ wingspan of the actual drone. This brings the presence of the drone closer to the viewer,” she says.
Elizabeth comes from a military family and recalls wanting “to be in the military at one point because [she] wanted to be associated with that type of power.”
Her father, Randy Carney, a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force, believes that Elizabeth made the right decision becoming an artist and notes that her work is beautiful.
“I would never force or push anyone in the direction of the military unless it was something they had as a calling. [Elizabeth is] a young woman now…with strong independent ideas and a sense of herself. You can see that in all of this work,” he says.
Harney says she would not change anything about her show, but would love to expand on the concept. She hopes to graduate and move on to art residencies and graduate school in the future.
The Difference is Distance; March 4, 2013-March 8, 2013; Opening Reception March 4th 4:30pm-7:30pm; Visual Arts Gallery: 100 Culver Avenue, Jersey City, NJ.
