Deirdre Sullivan Beeman

Sullivan-Beeman’s work focuses on a central female figure which she denotes as a “heroine”, who is often accompanied by a force she calls a “daemon”, typified most frequently by an animal, or some other symbol of the natural world.[3] The current environmental state of disarray informs her work; her view that “animals don’t often exist as equal partners in this big world” influences the nuance with which she includes animals as “sidekicks” to her heroine subjects.[4] Sullivan-Beeman references her traditionalist Western painting style in the intellectual content of her works as well.[4] For example, while her Long Ago Girl (2018) is painted in the mische technique and is represented wearing 18th century garments, she is also positioned in a protective manner reminiscent of and illusory to “historic images of the Madonna of Mercy, where humanity kneels under the cloak of the Virgin Mary”.[5] Here, Sullivan-Beeman’s heroine is presented traditionally in terms of style and culture; she also draws on feminist ideals in that she posits the heroine as a protector figure of nature.[5] The artist’s imagery is often pulled from the subconscious awareness of femininity; a dream journal functions as the conception place for much of her work.[3] Her heroines and their positioning in the context of the painting are also highly symbolic of inner knowledge, worth, and discovery: in Seahorse Girl (2018), the seahorse is a symbol of the heroine’s “benevolent protection,” while the treasure chest bullion represents the heroine’s inner “fortitude, knowledge, and wisdom”.[3]

• Official website