MFA 2016
gouache and acrylic on paper, 2015, 22"w x 30"h
We present ourselves as happy, pretty and pleasant—but that isn’t always what lies beneath the surface. Much of the human emotional experience revolves around duality. For example, we know happiness because we know sadness (and vice versa). We identify certain things as “beautiful” because we have identified other things as “ugly.” Teeth are strong and delicate, a beauty feature and potentially dangerous. Here, there is no face or mouth to anchor them or give them context—which speaks to anxiety. The colors are bright and friendly, but ultimately the teeth are nonhuman and unreal. I am interested in using familiar forms, like teeth, to embody a range of emotions.
A Daimler Company
