Megan T. Hurst
Artist Statements

The meaning of Aesthetic Ideal

I believe all artwork should capture absolute beauty. My goal in each of my works is to create the most appealing image to view. "Aesthetic ideal" is a work of art that has captured perfection and is superior in beauty. I want my work to fulfill the ideal spectacle of the viewer and to imprint the image of my work within the viewers' mind.

Aesthetic Ideal Logo, the meaning

Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I wanted to become either an orthopedic surgeon or genetic engineer. In college, I realized that art is my true passion. Yet, my interest in science still continues and trickles into my artwork. In my paintings and photographs, I genetically change various species of flowers. I improve on their innate beauty and create fantastical, gorgeous images. Thus, my logo encapsulates both science and art by combining a DNA double helix and flowers.

Artist Statement - Photography

Once contemplating a profession in genetic engineering, Megan Hurst chose instead to pursue an art career. She has since been able to combine her scientific interest in biology and genetics with that of her subject matter, flowers.

The vivid and surreal representation of the images captured in Megan's photographs transcends the boundaries of nature's brilliance and transforms flowers into dreamlike, fantastical creatures. The results are images that possess fluidity of movement with a supernatural grace. Always striving for the 'Aesthetic Ideal,' the message Megan wishes to convey to the viewer is simply one of the beauty that can be perceived from unexpected viewpoints in nature.

Gary-Paul Prince, of the Internet magazine Swirlpop, writes that within Megan's photography, "the dreamy flower images mesh into a landscape that reminds me of some sort of earthly creature yet to be discovered. I get a sense of radiance and sensuality that is how one might feel if one were to walk through the Amazon forest, each step bringing a new discovery of flora and fauna."

Megan has managed to expand upon the inherent beauty of flowers through using creative viewpoints, Adobe Photoshop, and often multiple exposures. In her creation of these unique hybrids of nature, color, and technology, Megan has effectively invented a brilliant new species of flowers with stunning magnificence.

Artist Statement - Painting

The paintings of Megan Hurst depict semi-representational floral images. Whether viewed in the context of the entire flower, or only as a small portion thereof, their structure is reduced to the most prominent natural curves and tonal variations. Evoking a multitude of hidden images, the viewer is left to discern the meaning within each piece, similar to a Rorschach test wherein the viewer sees an image in an inkblot that reveals something about his or her psyche. It is important that the paintings assist the viewer in learning something personal about him or herself based upon what they feel they see within each painting. The viewer is then left to analyze their perception of the image as one might analyze a dream.

Much of the work has been inspired by human anatomy and its associated systemic processes, such as the nervous and digestive systems. Vein-like patterns, similar to human nerve endings, or dendrites, are apparent throughout the paintings. These dendritic references represent the artist's particular interest in the unconscious mind and how it affects repetitious behavioral patterns between people. This behavior, such as the very human tendency to repeatedly place one's self in the same social situation for the sake of the comfort derived from its familiarity, limits both personal growth and new opportunities. Through her paintings, Megan Hurst hopes to stimulate mental growth and awareness.