You & I
BFA Senior Project- 2014
Artist Statement:
“My recent installation You & I began with a self-portrait as a statement of taking command of my own sexuality and embrace who I am as a woman I am the only one who is in control of my body, my sexuality, which is something I believe women learn through experiences in every type of relationship, whether it is romantic or platonic. The motivation to make my work draws from security in who I am, and from the emotionally vulnerable places I have grown from.
Each woman that I paint represents a different type of strength, displaying her own sense of sexuality, vulnerability, and empowerment. Each of the women in my paintings gaze directly at the viewer, set behind a window that the viewer must peer through. I hope to evoke a feeling of invasion into each woman’s life, witnessing her vulnerability and strength alongside each other.
The way I handle the application of paint, mimics the motion and curves of the body without idealizing their beauty. Areas where there is crosshatching, the paint creates a rougher texture. In other areas you can see extended lines that follow the length of a particular body part in a fluid manner. The balance between rough and smooth application lends itself to steer away from the idea of perfect beauty. A human’s body is never perfect or purely damaged. It is a combination of beauty and flaws that work alongside each other.
Flaws that are displayed on a person’s body tend to have a story attached to them. For women such as Conceicao Duarte, their scars come from battling breast cancer and are rarely exposed out of embarrassment. Other women have physical and emotional scars that can be viewed on the surface or through a facial expression. My surface scars come from surgeries I battled through by myself, and my inner scars are a result of losing who I am while focusing on a man with an addiction.
The mystery behind each woman’s story creates an air of wonder. There are strategic clues in the environment that are painted, but their stories are never fully explained without knowing the woman personally. As an artist, we can only attempt to scratch the surface of their story from an outside perspective.
Their stories are theirs to tell.
List of Works:
Solitude of One Who Trembled
Oil on Masonite, 2013
For Drinking Away the Pain is the Best
Oil on Masonite, 2013
Who Know if its You Indeed I Wait For
Oil on Masonite, 2013
A Song That’s Not Mine
Oil on Masonite, 2014
And Now I Give Myself Beginning and End
Oil on Masonite, 2014
Final Works & Presentation:
Construction Progress Photographs:
