The Beholder

by Eleonor Andersson

“‘The Beholder’ Oil on Canvas, 24x18 inches, 2024

This painting explores light and emotion through the subject's upward gaze, captured in a moment of introspection and discovery as they look toward an unseen source of light. The figure is both literally and figuratively illuminated, depicted in a state of enlightenment. The subject’s parted lips and upward gaze convey vulnerability and openness. The skin, achieved with finger painting, emphasizes a tactile relationship between the artists and the artwork. The oil paint gives the subject a luminous almost ethereal quality. This glow contrasts against the flat acrylic background, forefronting the emotional and visual depth of the figure. The stark, minimalist background focuses attention on the subject, emphasizing the inward journey of transformation. This painting invites viewers to reflect on internal transformation, posing questions about art’s role in uncovering the light within: How can art illuminate darkness? And where do we, as individuals, find this light?”

Eleonor Andersson is a 23-year-old Swedish-American artist from New York City, based in Connecticut, Wyoming, and NYC. Andersson graduated from Wesleyan University in May 2024 with a Studio Art and Psychology degree, completing her undergraduate painting thesis, O.C.V, with high honors. She has exhibited her work in Brooklyn, NY; Poughkeepsie, NY; and Greenwich, CT. She received the Boynes Artist Award in surrealism. She now works as an artist and children’s art teacher in New York City.

Andersson's artistic practice revolves around self-portraits, surrealism, and psychological realism. Employing primarily oil and acrylic paint, she explores the different ways in which we experience the inhibition of the human body and mind. Her work examines the various methods and techniques that might convey this universal yet highly subjective phenomenon.

Situated at the intersection of fine art and psychology, Andersson’s work combines these disciplines to investigate the psyche and the complex relationship between the body and mind. She examines the intricacies of the human "self," encompassing both psychological and physiological aspects. Her goal is to externalize the mental landscape and visually represent it in the physical world.

She aims to create works that are disturbing to look at but insist on being observed. The artist attempts to produce this conflict within the observer through the juxtaposition of grotesque and beautiful elements, exploring their ability to repel and seduce.