Tina Newberry, The Three Graces

Tina Newberry's The Three Graces is a haunting interpretation of the mythological goddesses of joy, charm, and beauty. In Greek mythology, the Three Graces were the daughters of Zeus and the nymph Eurynome and they presided over dances, banquets, and all pleasurable social events. They were believed to bring goodwill to both gods and mortals and to endow artists and poets with the ability to create beautiful works of art. Newberry's figures appear more like survivors living in a peculiar, apocalyptic world devoid of creativity. Their bizarrely structured, cadaverous bodies stand together under a lushly colored red cloth that contrasts with the surrounding bleakness of the landscape.

Tina Newberry received her M.F.A. in painting from Indiana University. She teaches painting at Drexel University and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her work has been exhibited in Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Indiana and was included in the Outwin Boochever 2006 Portrait Competition exhibition at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.