What makes an artist an artist? Is it a way of looking at
the world, or a unique ability to interpret what we see? In
Janet McCarty’s case it is a combination of both, plus a
radical commitment to going beyond her comfort zone.
The story of McCarty’s paintings is one of evolution,
which the artist seems to be witnessing more than facilitating. Professionally, McCarty’s journey began by studying and teaching architecture and urban planning, both
in the US and abroad. It sparked an on-going love affair
with both continents that carried McCarty back and forth
for the next 20 years, wearing both hats, as architect/
designer and artist. Her primary body of work during this
time was figurative, centered on the ‘Monumental Male
Nude’ in a limited color palette, echoing the classicism
and colors of Italy.
McCarty took a leap of faith in 2010, when she and her
husband moved to San Diego: she committed herself
to becoming a full time painter. Almost instantly a transition set in, which can best be described as a slow but
steady dissolution of the representational into complete
abstraction. The figure became looser and then disappeared. Shedding the layers of realism, she found herself
replacing representation with interpretation, seeing with
her heart as opposed to her eye. She now begins her
paintings from a point of arbitrariness and allows herself
to react visually to whatever shows up. This is not to say