The Pirate of Heartache Doesn’t Go to the Circus

Gift of Dr. John and Dee Ledbetter.

Dara Engler paints exaggerated portraits of her alter ego, complementing allegory with humor. Her “pirates” are curious, adventurous, and most certainly well-meaning, if at times awkward and inefficient in her quests. Engler utilizes pattern, line, and flattened space to emphasize her character’s relationship to her constructed environments and the props that populate them.

Engler has received many awards, grants, and residencies, and currently teaches painting and drawing at Ithaca College.