“As a therapist, I spent all day, every day talking to people about how their lives were troubled; in
many cases, these people had very sad and depressed lives, and it was my job to help them explore and
deal with that reality,” she says. “And I genuinely liked every single one of them. I never had a patient who
I didn’t like or feel like was a worthwhile person, even those with criminal backgrounds. When you get to
know someone very well, you can’t help but see their humanity, whatever their story.”
An appreciation for and recognition of the nuance of human experience is especially evident in
Mauney’s portrait work.
“Dear Simone” plays on the concept of the “Dear John” letter. It pictures a female subject as she
receives bad news. The figure sits at a café table, a small coffee cup in front of her. Simone holds a letter
in her right hand. Her left hand trails lightly along the side of her face. Her facial features, pictured in pro-file,
are severe and reflect a recognizable combination of resignation and disappointment.
Uncharacteristically for Mauney, she painted Simone sitting in a bright, art-filled interior in a dress
Dear Simone, 20 x 14 inches, watercolor and gouache on paper.
Men Friends, 21 x 21 inches, watercolor and gouache on paper.
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WBM february 2018