MARGOT DERMODY

ARTIST BIO

Margot Dermody is an artist living in Pittsburgh, PA. Born in Maryland, she was exposed to art and science at a young age through her mother, an artist, and her father, a mathematician. She received a B.A. in Economics and an M.P.S. in Hotel Administration, both from Cornell University. Margot has lived and worked in San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Nashville. Growing up, she moved from Maryland to upstate New York, and lived in Rome when she was 12 years old, where she learned Italian.

Margot has been exploring and making art for more than 30 years. As a child she had a passion for ceramics, photography, cooking, sewing and performance arts. Despite the breadth and depth of Margot’s creatively infused professional experiences, she felt a need for greater self-expression that could only be satisfied with a full time studio practice. A primarily self-taught artist, Dermody paints with acrylic on canvas, wood panel, and paper and creates mixed-media artworks that incorporate photography, collage, oil and various materials. Margot’s work includes elements of nature and human emotion in a palette that varies from vibrant to monochromatic.

Dermody exhibited work at the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh “Alone, Together” show in February, 2021. She was selected to exhibit her work in the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh 107th Annual Exhibition at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 2019-2020. Her work has also been shown in the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Gallery, William Pitt Union, the Westmoreland Community College Gallery, Gallery One | Collective Works and the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media. Recently, she was awarded Idea Furnace Sessions for 2021 work in the Artist Residency Program at the world-class Pittsburgh Glass Center. Margot’s artwork and commissioned pieces are held in business spaces and private collections.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I create artwork that incorporates memories of personal experience, significant places, feelings of hope and serenity, and my lifelong passion for nature. My work is also informed by changing conditions of light and the texture of water. The dance of making marks, considering them, and responding to them is an integral aspect of my process.

I work intuitively to express the beauty I see in my surroundings and places experienced. I feel awe and inspiration at the edge of a body of water, alongside mountains, or in the deep woods. Using contemporary methods with acrylic, mixed media, and glass, I create opaque and translucent layers to achieve depth. As I work, I explore the contradictory space and tension between the eloquence of minimal and overworked spaces.

Today, I am interested in how we can bring light into our lives and how we can keep it fresh. My artwork reflects the beauty of light and the courage to find it. I hope my work will lift viewers emotionally. I am grateful to be able to express myself freely through my work while also using it to connect with others.


Website: www.margotdermody.com
IG: @margotdermody