MIXED MEDIA
I Got F**ked (Over)
Size: 20.32cm x 7.62cm x 12.7cm Medium: Mixed Media Completion: November 2019 This piece is to empower and acknowledge sexual assault survivors that they are not alone. Stephanie Sarley's Cream Cup inspired the use of mixed media to symbolize the female genitalia. The use of roses were inspired by Georgia O'keeffe's Black Iris they were able to express innocence and beauty until they start dying to express that sexual assault isn't something to joke about because it can traumatize people.
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INSPIRATION
Stephanie Sarley expressed, "It’s hard for people who have not been exposed to a lot of different kinds of art and who are unwilling to be open to new exciting concepts to think critically about my [Stephanie Sarley] work. They get uncomfortable. It makes them feel something so they get angry or grossed out." Stephanie believes that some females that react negatively to her art is due to them having body insecurities. This comment made me not only want to empower women to accept their bodies and not feel uncomfortable about any symbolism to it, but also to acknowledge sexual assault survivors that they are not alone in the feelings they have. I am a very strong believer in talking about taboo topics because they are natural and things that happen, they shouldn't be shunned. Instead of painting a vagina or using digital manipulation, I decided to use another object to symbolized it. Stephanie also said that when people comment "did the fruit give you consent" she she sees it has offensive to rape survivors. By creating my piece I wanted to express that sexual assault isn't something to joke about because it can traumatize people.
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What caught my attention in this piece was the high contrast in in the pedals on the top and bottom. Then I realized how big the pedals were, they were unrealistic proportions. When I see flower pedals I think of something gentle and innocent. Although in this piece it looks like the flower pedals are dying because of the use of black. I realized that if I use real flower pedals in my mixed media they will start to die and turn a black hue. This made me want to use real flower pedals even more so it could strongly convey my message of mentally damaging a person. The dying of the roses would express how a person at once was happy and pure, but once they get violated their beautiful flowers can start to die the more time passes.
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PLANNING
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This sketch I thought to use acrylic paint to show the fears that sexual assault survivors develop after a situation happens. Insight into the mind of a person that got sexually assaulted would help others realize that this is something that can affect somebody the rest of their life. I could use a red hue to write the words, this would express the tone of anger in the speakers voice. Then I could have the background a grey hue to convey the rest of the speakers mind is unemotional. The only thing that is on this persons mind is this topic, everything else is numb. I would not show the speaker because it doesn't matter if you are a male or female, anybody can be sexually assaulted.
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PROCESS
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EXPERIMENTATION
Since I was putting real flowers on the brain model I knew that they would die and show parts of the brain. I did not want the original colors of the brain model to show through because they didn't have meaning to my piece. When I first got the model I noticed that the paint was chipping off, so I thought I would be able to peel off all the paint. Trying to peel the paint off was too difficult due to the pieces breaking off too small. Then I thought I could use scissors or a vegetable peeler to take the paint off. Trying to scrape the paint off didn't work neither because the sharp edges started to chip away the brain model. My final option was to use gesso to cover up the old paint.
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REFLECTION
SIMILARITIES
DIFFERENCES
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ACT RESPONSES
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
By talking about a taboo topic she wants to empower women through the use of symbolization of daily objects. Leading me to want to talk about a taboo topic the empower people that may be scared and to symbolize their pain through the death of the flowers.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
She wants to make females have body confidence and inspire people to not see their bodies as inappropriate.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture,etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Society grew up with females always having to cover themselves more that males. This plants a seed in society's mind that the female body is inappropriate, making it easier fro females to have more insecurities/low body confidence.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
To acknowledge sexual assault survivors and to educate how mentally damaging that situation is to a person.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
People are quick to judge somebody that likes to talk about taboo topics. If a topic is not talked widely about in society, society likes to call it gross or stupid because they are afraid to speak on it. The topics make them feel uncomfortable because they were taught that these things should be shunned on when talked about.
By talking about a taboo topic she wants to empower women through the use of symbolization of daily objects. Leading me to want to talk about a taboo topic the empower people that may be scared and to symbolize their pain through the death of the flowers.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
She wants to make females have body confidence and inspire people to not see their bodies as inappropriate.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture,etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Society grew up with females always having to cover themselves more that males. This plants a seed in society's mind that the female body is inappropriate, making it easier fro females to have more insecurities/low body confidence.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
To acknowledge sexual assault survivors and to educate how mentally damaging that situation is to a person.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
People are quick to judge somebody that likes to talk about taboo topics. If a topic is not talked widely about in society, society likes to call it gross or stupid because they are afraid to speak on it. The topics make them feel uncomfortable because they were taught that these things should be shunned on when talked about.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rense, Sarah. “A Video of a Papaya Is the Most NSFW Thing You'll See Today.” Esquire, Esquire, 11 Oct. 2017, https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/sex/a45013/instagram-fingering-fruit/.
Lundberg, Anna. “Color Meanings and the Art of Using Color Symbolism.” 99designs, 99designs, 22 Aug. 2019, https://99designs.com/blog/tips/color-meanings/.
“Meaning of Colors in Color Psychology.” Empowered By Color, https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/meaning-of-colors.html.
“Feminism and Fruit: An Interview with Stephanie Sarley.” Berlin Art Link, 20 Aug. 2019, https://www.berlinartlink.com/2018/03/21/food-fruit-and-feminism-an-interview-with-stephanie-sarley/.
Lundberg, Anna. “Color Meanings and the Art of Using Color Symbolism.” 99designs, 99designs, 22 Aug. 2019, https://99designs.com/blog/tips/color-meanings/.
“Meaning of Colors in Color Psychology.” Empowered By Color, https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/meaning-of-colors.html.
“Feminism and Fruit: An Interview with Stephanie Sarley.” Berlin Art Link, 20 Aug. 2019, https://www.berlinartlink.com/2018/03/21/food-fruit-and-feminism-an-interview-with-stephanie-sarley/.