Remi Dalton (b. 1991) is a San Diego-based artist, originally from Oklahoma City, OK. Her practice is centered around painting, but also includes video, mixed media, and installation. Remi received her Master of Fine Arts in Painting from San Diego State University in 2019, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Visual Arts and Chemistry from the University of San Diego in 2014.
The artist has completed multiple residencies, most notably the Flux Factory Artist Residency in Queens, NY made in part possible by an award from the Queens Council of the Arts. She has received multiple awards including the NTC Foundation’s Emerging Artist Residency in San Diego, CA, the Art Produce Graduate MFA Exhibition Award in San Diego, CA, and a Windgate Fellowship. Remi serves as associate faculty at the University of San Diego, MiraCosta College and Southwestern College teaching painting, drawing and design. She has shown in multiple exhibitions across the nation.
Artist Statement
I am a Neo-romantic trapper who uses the mediums of painting, sculpture, and performance to tell tales of ensnarement. The subjects of my work are often led by a desire for individualism into ecstatic prisons.
Oil painting is the heart of my art practice which pumps life into other interdisciplinary facets. My work often employs elements of traditional romantic painting such as smoky glazes, ruckenfigurs, and sublime vistas to seduce a viewer into exploring the irreverent details in the work. For example, my series “Rainbow Valley” was comprised of large-scale oil paintings which at first glance were simply majestic mountain scenes. However, each painting contained a dead climber implanted in the snow, which was clear upon further inspection.
Professor of Philosophy, Richard Eldridge describes the romantic movement as a “cultural egotism, substituting the individual imagination for a vanishing social tradition.” Romantic heroism is a core concern of my work. The perception of heroism is important in the creation of social movements and can often unify diverse factions into significant political forces. Therefore, it is important to question where we bestow this heroism, and how it influences our choices.