Carefully hidden in lush jungles and gentle desert reliefs is the artistic philosophy of Dana Schutz, one of the more recent marvels to hit the contemporary art scene by surprise. Each stroke in her mind-teasing abstractions comments on creation, regeneration and the role of art in society. Raphaela Platow, chief curator of the Rose Art Museum, led a gallery tour Mar. 4 delving into the creative process and artistic style of this innovative painter. The chronological exhibition, with paintings dating from 2001 to the present, begins with a member of the "Frank from Observation" series. Frank, a tranquil, lanky castaway, is the reclining nude of the 21st century. He is a playful spoof of the deified form of the female nude, the centuries-old object of lust and beauty. Platow described Frank's image as the "synthesis of qualities Schutz borrowed from her friends and transformed" to suit her creative whims as well as her most serious artistic principles. Specifically, Frank's existence hopes to establish a dialogue between the last man on earth and the last painter. Manipulating Frank and his environment, Schutz asks how art would be redefined by the absence of social and cultural context. "She questions the role an artist plays in culture," Platow said. This theme pervades many of her works, where tiny self-portraits are seen in the background, observing and recording the fictional narratives unraveling on her canvas.

As with many real-life relationships, the one between Schutz and Frank comes to a sad demise. Schutz "rips him limb from limb" and reassembles him into a fleshy still-life set against a beautiful desert. Many of her portraits are presented against similarly simple yet elegant backgrounds. In this manner, Schutz "heightens the impact of her subject-matter," Platow said.

Schutz's interest in creation and regeneration becomes more apparent in a series of paintings entitled "Self-Eaters." The subjects here devour everything from freshly severed limbs to eyeballs, only to regain their function by sewing on arbitrary body parts wherever they can be found. In Platow's words, "These figures are very much about creating themselves and dissecting their own material." Schutz's primary intent is not to shock or disgust. On the other hand, she complements the visual narrative with a gorgeous, colorful palette, neutralizing the ominous mood. In "New Legs," a girl is shown meticulously sculpting her own legs. In this example, Schutz imbues her subject with autonomy. Thus, creation, destruction and regeneration form a cycle reminiscent of art itself. The subject-matter in this series represent the importance of developing new material and manipulating old material in the artistic process.

One monumental work, "Civil Planning," in the gallery is structurally and stylistically reminiscent of Gaugin's famous "Where Do We Come from? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?" In his painting, Gaugin followed the cycle of life; each scene, separated by clusters of trees, presented a specific aspect of social existence. Schutz's work also compiles vignettes, each separated by trees. Platow said, "the figures in Gaugin's painting are very much in harmony with nature, whereas Schutz's painting presents a snapshot of a particular chaotic moment." The scenes in this painting seem somewhat disjointed. In one, self-eaters are preying on one of their own; in another, a man is trying to build something. Body parts dominate yet another part of the painting. The foreground depicts two fully-dressed teenagers building small pebble towers. The tension in their faces, as well as their civilized demeanor, instills them with a profound sense of purpose. Perhaps "Civil Planning," a freeze-frame of the self-eater lifestyle, is really a turning point, an end to their egomaniacal, gluttonous lifestyle.

The ideas behind many of Schutz's phantasmagorical narratives originate from the media. Her self-portrait, entitled "Googling," is her most recent work on display. It highlights "the artist's relationship to her subject matter and the process of creating a work of art." Schutz portrays herself in paint-spattered overalls, sitting at her computer in her messy studio, "googling" aimlessly. After her research is done, Schutz continues her creative process by instilling the findings with her own ideas.