10 Jun Megan Dominescu
As a child, I loved going to the countryside, but there was one aspect I absolutely dreaded: when the night would fall, I had to stay inside, and every single wall of every room was covered in tapestries, which made for such a crowded visual image. I would plead to at least keep only one wall covered in them, but I never succeeded. In fact, everyone found it so amusing a child could be so bothered by the décor and they would tease me about how I would want my own carpets on the walls when I’ll grow up. “I will NEVER” I would say in rage, and generally speaking, whenever I said “never”, that’s exactly where life took me. When I first saw Megan Dominescu ’s With Great Solitude Comes a Bountiful Harvest at the Anca Poterașu Gallery in Bucharest, I knew I wanted nothing more than to have one of her incredible textile artworks in my house one day and yes- dear family- place it on my walls! The fundamental difference is we are not talking about a decorative object here, but art, and Megan Dominescu ’s art is remarkable in the sense that her compositions featuring humorous truths and outlandish situations read like a painting, yet when you are face to face with them, the rug hooking technique also offers a sculptural dimension.
With Great Solitude Comes a Bountiful Harvest
Megan Dominescu is a visual artist, who graduated from the Department of Painting and currently lives and works in Bucharest. When I first discovered her art, thanks to social media, I was absolutely entranced with the manner she portrays the chaotic society we live in, featuring such essential insights in witty ways. I learned she was born in the Netherlands, to Romanian and American parents and that she lived an important part of her life in the USA, before moving to Bucharest. I imagine her fascination with the local aesthetics may stem from the fact she grew up in a totally different environment and transitioning to a city like Bucharest not only takes time, but also requires a great sense of humour as a coping mechanism. I may be inclined to say so based on the fact my partner was in a similar situation – growing up in Italy and moving to Romania for college – and whenever we walk on the street, we see things in totally different ways, but this adaptation process has been a constant source of inspiration for his art. Megan Dominescu ‘s quest to comprehend and document aspects of contemporary society is so captivating, especially when you are faced with aspects you maybe knew existed, but weren’t aware of the impact they have on your life.
I want to take a moment to state the fact the world may look gloomy from so many angles right now, especially on a local level, but one thing I am grateful about is I get to experience art in this day and time. On one hand, when I think about the artists I follow, there are as many women as there are men, and while this may seem like a reasonable affirmation, this is actually an incredible moment in art history, when women are finally thriving and being acknowledged in this field. On the other hand, I’ve been reading a lot on art theory lately and I feel like we’ve come a long way from initially wondering whether Duchamp’s Fountain is a work of art or not, and what makes Andy Warhol’s Brillo Box different from the original product. Art can be regarded now as an open concept, as artists constantly evolve and work in new mediums. Megan Dominescu actually learned to sew from her mother and grandmother, but at some point in her teenage years she became interested in painting and paused experimenting with textiles. It was actually after she graduated, when she wanted to make a carpet for herself, that she discovered this medium offered her such freedom of expression.
“Me stuck inside the washing machine and nobody will open the door
But the washing machine is the world and me is everyone”
Megan Dominescu ‘s social commentary is bold, and she masterfully employs text in the process. I’m aware there has been this debate of how much text is too much when it comes to a work of art, but I personally believe that in this case, her choice to use words is vital for the message she aims to get across. It should not be regarded as a key to read the visual representation, but an addition of dark humour and an instrument which stimulates your inner introspection. In her artworks centered on the aggressive publicity that characterizes the streets of this country – such as casino and videochat advertisements displayed everywhere – words are just depictions of the crude reality and kitsch that our local administrations allow.
Although you will notice many of her compositions are created using the rug hooking technique, Megan is also well versed in knitting and I am certain she will continue to experiment and create electrifying art in the future. I wanted to include two of her works in which she employed different techniques, who coincidentally reference the pandemic. The first is a cotton embroidery, which references the ever-present requirements of the first lockdown. The second one is one of the most emblematic works when I think about living through these last two years: a knitted sweater, which I would wear in a heartbeat.
My live encounters with Megan Dominescu ’s work are fascinating, because the texture of the carpets gives a 3D feeling and you can also notice how the materials are combined and how much they vary in types and colors. Megan is also an advocate for using what you have around, as she states there are many projects in which she took different second hand sweaters and used the fabrics to make different combinations of colors and created different depths in the process. There is something riveting about watching the artwork from different angles and acknowledging it’s not a flat surface- it makes for a completely different experience than you would have by watching a pictorial version of it.
Techniques used and vivid colors aside, it’s impossible to forget one of the artist’s works once you’ve seen it – her subjects are powerful and she approaches topics so many of us can relate to in daring ways. Apart from the social situations and the environment we live in Romania, Megan Dominescu also credits the internet for offering countless possibilities to get inspired. No matter the subjects she references, I can’t help but marvel at her artistic practice and the way she portrays her vision. Let’s take the artwork featuring three aliens visiting Earth- it’s only natural that the first thing they want to do once they step foot on a new planet is to visit Lidl? Yes, it actually makes total sense, when you live in a country where Lidl’s weekly specials is a subject more debated than the weather. But how does Megan Dominescu finds genius insights like this all the time? I can’t answer, but that’s the beauty and magic of keeping in touch with her art.
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