Title

Catharsis

Class Year

2017

Preview

image preview

Creation Date

Spring 2016

Document Type

Image

Department 1

Art

Description

The works depict physical representations of psychological states. The paintings are loose portraits of people with stylized backgrounds. I emphasize emotion by using painterly brush strokes to make the pieces more expressive. The viewer’s attention is drawn to the facial expression of the figure to tell the story of the subject’s emotional journey. I like to play with colors, without feeling too confined to realism. Many areas on the body are left unblended to keep with the expressive style of the brush strokes. Most works contain an element other than the figure to give it a small amount of context without making the message too obvious. This series tells the story of a person starting in a dark place and embarking on a journey of catharsis. The protagonist begins the story on all fours vomiting. The only promise for a brighter future is indicated in the glow of the fluorescent vomit. The series progresses to the figure expressing her anger by letting out a scream. The scream, like the vomit, serves as a bright source of light and color for the piece. The next stage of the catharsis shows the first obvious display of peace. The figure is being doused in glowing, colorful rain, symbolic of a spiritual cleansing. Her face has a hint of a smile for the first time in the series. The last piece in the series is the resolution. The protagonist is lying in a field smelling a colorful bouquet of flowers that also illuminate her face. This piece is meant to resolve the series and show the character’s achievement of closure.

Keywords

Emotion, Journey, Oil Painting

 
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