Cindy Press

"On the Surface" black and white oil painting of a woman holding a surfboard

2022

Cindy Press is a visual artist living and working in New York. She was born and raised in Philadelphia where she graduated with a BFA in Fashion Illustration from Moore College of Art and Design. Press had a successful career as a fashion designer working with artists such as Peter Max, best known for his work in the 60s, she interpreted his paintings into wearable art. She has recently returned to her art practice after taking time off to raise her two daughters. “My original goal was to create paintings that are simply striking and beautiful, getting back to my roots of fashion illustration. As I started my process of reinvention, I found myself drawn to images of women that are edgy and sexy. Collecting clippings from magazines and editorials as inspiration, I work in a realistic manner depicting portraits and figures of females. When I begin to work, I notice a peculiar shift in my thought process. I am no longer concerned about the beauty of the image but instead how it speaks to me, what does the expression or pose represent to me? My focus changes entirely as I consider a history of experiences while I paint. I think about my life, my family and friends. The relationships, the love, the hurt, the anguish and my conflicts come into play. There is so much more behind a person’s appearance. Through the cult of beauty in contemporary mass media I am investigating the psychological complexity of women.”