Megan Ping
Megan Ping is an artist living and working in Dallas, TX. She is currently working on a low-residency MFA at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, NV. Megan expects to graduate in January 2020. In this series of Dream Bubbles, Ping is exploring ideas around gender, identity, and desire. She approaches these topics with humor.
Artist Statement
Dream Bubbles
This current body of work I felt it was appropriate to use people I do not know to make these images more about fantasy. These dream bubbles incorporate images from social media and professional wrestlers. I’m interested in taking these figures out of their context and placing them into a vacation-like fantasy environment. For the wrestlers I looked for a moment that seemed a little tough, yet tender. While selecting images to use, I felt compelled to find images in pairs that were similar. I matched these by using similar backgrounds and similar shirts.
I chose to paint on a circle surface to make these like dream bubbles. Circles have been a common theme in social networks as well. Instagram, Facebook, Google+, messaging apps, and Tinder all incorporate the circle. These social media networks are all intended for people to try to connect. The backdrops I chose for these figures are a play on class, masculinity, and habitat. When I begin to create these images I often think about where would I find this person, what kind of habitat would they dwell in? This influences the color pallet, any prints I use and if they are located indoors or outdoors.
I inject the figure into imaginary spaces built from interior design color palettes, tacky prints, used furniture, and nature. I hope the images indulge the pleasure of voyeurism while exploring the often ambiguous of elusive impact of posed figure painting. While not all of these examples implicate the viewer in a lustful way, they all pull at you, their purpose is to invite you to indulge in looking. I find myself wanting to look at people, but not wanting to be rude and stare. I want to provide the viewer the same opportunity to enjoy looking. For many of us, our lives can be very mundane. We don’t always allow ourselves to fantasize or think about impractical things. I hope my images help give others permission to look and to fantasize about their desires.
CV
Education/ Residencies:
2020(e) MFA-IA, Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village, NV
2014 Hilmsen Summer Residency, Molzberger Academy of Fine Arts, Hilmsen, Germany
2013 Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Bangor, ME
2009 BFA Studio Art, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
2004-2007 Collin County Community College, Plano, TX
Exhibitions:
2020(upcoming) One Fall, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2020(upcoming) MFA Thesis, Lake Tahoe Gallery, Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village, NV
2019(upcoming) TBD, Professional Wrestling Museum and Hall of Fame, Wichita Falls, TX
2019(upcoming) Radar V- Don’t Tap, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2019(upcoming) On My Own Time, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX
2019 Solo Exhibition, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX
2018 Creative Arts Center (CAC) of Dallas Blue Plate Special, Dallas, TX
2018 Radar IV, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2018 MFA Exhibit, St. Mary's, Virginia City, NV
2018 TWELVE, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2017 Radar III, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2016 Radar II, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2016 Summer Fun, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2016 Creative Arts Center (CAC) of Dallas 50th Anniversary Blue Plate Special, Dallas, TX
2015 Rising Star, Turner House, Dallas, TX
2015 Radar, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2014 American Imports, Molzberger Academy of Fine Arts, Hilmsen, Germany
2013 Forensic Portraiture, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Bangor, ME
2010 For Love of The Kettle, Kettle Art Gallery, Dallas, TX
2009 Imagining the Landscape, Art Barn, Taos, NM
2009 Senior Show, Pollock Gallery, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
2008 Layers, The Drawing Room, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
2008 Bodies, Doolin Gallery, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
2007 Viewpoints, The ARTS Gallery, Collin County Community College, Plano, TX 2007
Juror Melodee Martin Ramirez
Additional Professional Activities:
2019 Artist talk, Rising Star Alum, Mary Tomas Gallery, Dallas, TX
2019 Cara Mia Red Hot Gala Volunteer, Dallas, TX
2018 Artist talk, Tarrant County Community College, Fort Worth, TX
2018 Creative Art Center (CAC) Blue Plate Volunteer, Dallas, TX
2017 Album Cover, Smooth Bryan, Colorado
2017 Project Assistant, Joshua Goode, The MAC, Dallas, TX
2015- Present Gallery Intern, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2014 Project Assistant, Joshua Goode, Kortrijk Conge, Buda, Kortrijk, Belgium
2014 Drawing Collaboration, Judah Friedlander, New York, NY
2004-2006 Instructor, Special Olympics, Plano, TX 2004-2007
Awards:
2018-2020 Startland Portfolio Scholarship
2018-2020 Sierra Nevada College Travel Stipend
2018-2020 Chickasaw Higher Education Grant
2018-2020 Chickasaw General Scholarship
2015 Rising Star, Turner House, Dallas, TX
2009 Zelle Grant
2009 Clements Scholarship
2008, 2009 New York Colloquium Scholarship
2007-2009 Art Merit Scholarship
Megan Ping is an artist living and working in Dallas, TX. She is currently working on a low-residency MFA at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, NV. Megan expects to graduate in January 2020. In this series of Dream Bubbles, Ping is exploring ideas around gender, identity, and desire. She approaches these topics with humor.
Artist Statement
Dream Bubbles
This current body of work I felt it was appropriate to use people I do not know to make these images more about fantasy. These dream bubbles incorporate images from social media and professional wrestlers. I’m interested in taking these figures out of their context and placing them into a vacation-like fantasy environment. For the wrestlers I looked for a moment that seemed a little tough, yet tender. While selecting images to use, I felt compelled to find images in pairs that were similar. I matched these by using similar backgrounds and similar shirts.
I chose to paint on a circle surface to make these like dream bubbles. Circles have been a common theme in social networks as well. Instagram, Facebook, Google+, messaging apps, and Tinder all incorporate the circle. These social media networks are all intended for people to try to connect. The backdrops I chose for these figures are a play on class, masculinity, and habitat. When I begin to create these images I often think about where would I find this person, what kind of habitat would they dwell in? This influences the color pallet, any prints I use and if they are located indoors or outdoors.
I inject the figure into imaginary spaces built from interior design color palettes, tacky prints, used furniture, and nature. I hope the images indulge the pleasure of voyeurism while exploring the often ambiguous of elusive impact of posed figure painting. While not all of these examples implicate the viewer in a lustful way, they all pull at you, their purpose is to invite you to indulge in looking. I find myself wanting to look at people, but not wanting to be rude and stare. I want to provide the viewer the same opportunity to enjoy looking. For many of us, our lives can be very mundane. We don’t always allow ourselves to fantasize or think about impractical things. I hope my images help give others permission to look and to fantasize about their desires.
CV
Education/ Residencies:
2020(e) MFA-IA, Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village, NV
2014 Hilmsen Summer Residency, Molzberger Academy of Fine Arts, Hilmsen, Germany
2013 Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Bangor, ME
2009 BFA Studio Art, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
2004-2007 Collin County Community College, Plano, TX
Exhibitions:
2020(upcoming) One Fall, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2020(upcoming) MFA Thesis, Lake Tahoe Gallery, Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village, NV
2019(upcoming) TBD, Professional Wrestling Museum and Hall of Fame, Wichita Falls, TX
2019(upcoming) Radar V- Don’t Tap, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2019(upcoming) On My Own Time, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX
2019 Solo Exhibition, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX
2018 Creative Arts Center (CAC) of Dallas Blue Plate Special, Dallas, TX
2018 Radar IV, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2018 MFA Exhibit, St. Mary's, Virginia City, NV
2018 TWELVE, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2017 Radar III, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2016 Radar II, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2016 Summer Fun, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2016 Creative Arts Center (CAC) of Dallas 50th Anniversary Blue Plate Special, Dallas, TX
2015 Rising Star, Turner House, Dallas, TX
2015 Radar, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2014 American Imports, Molzberger Academy of Fine Arts, Hilmsen, Germany
2013 Forensic Portraiture, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Bangor, ME
2010 For Love of The Kettle, Kettle Art Gallery, Dallas, TX
2009 Imagining the Landscape, Art Barn, Taos, NM
2009 Senior Show, Pollock Gallery, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
2008 Layers, The Drawing Room, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
2008 Bodies, Doolin Gallery, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
2007 Viewpoints, The ARTS Gallery, Collin County Community College, Plano, TX 2007
Juror Melodee Martin Ramirez
Additional Professional Activities:
2019 Artist talk, Rising Star Alum, Mary Tomas Gallery, Dallas, TX
2019 Cara Mia Red Hot Gala Volunteer, Dallas, TX
2018 Artist talk, Tarrant County Community College, Fort Worth, TX
2018 Creative Art Center (CAC) Blue Plate Volunteer, Dallas, TX
2017 Album Cover, Smooth Bryan, Colorado
2017 Project Assistant, Joshua Goode, The MAC, Dallas, TX
2015- Present Gallery Intern, Mary Tomás Gallery, Dallas, TX
2014 Project Assistant, Joshua Goode, Kortrijk Conge, Buda, Kortrijk, Belgium
2014 Drawing Collaboration, Judah Friedlander, New York, NY
2004-2006 Instructor, Special Olympics, Plano, TX 2004-2007
Awards:
2018-2020 Startland Portfolio Scholarship
2018-2020 Sierra Nevada College Travel Stipend
2018-2020 Chickasaw Higher Education Grant
2018-2020 Chickasaw General Scholarship
2015 Rising Star, Turner House, Dallas, TX
2009 Zelle Grant
2009 Clements Scholarship
2008, 2009 New York Colloquium Scholarship
2007-2009 Art Merit Scholarship
