Acrylic on paper mounted board, 40"x40"
THE BIRDMAN
I was lollygagging about my studio today making busy work for myself. This is when I sweep out the corners, move Big Momma (the resident spider) outside, organize, and hang new works. My brain was pinging back and forth between the audio book I had on the go and the “BIG” question. You know the one… why the fuck do I even bother? Or more eloquently put, I suppose I pondered what my connection to my artwork is. What meaning does it bring to my life? What inspires me? What motivates me?
I’ve been painting self-portraits as a mother and portraits of my sons since they were babies. So yeah, my art is personal. I’m deeply inspired by human psychology – by our tragedy, sorrow, mental illness and unwavering love for ourselves anyway. Art can dig out all the rot and leave in its wake something beautiful and viscerally moving. I’m motivated to keep going because my art is therapy. In everything I do, I’m showing you pieces of myself too, for I know of no other way to communicate the depths of what I’m feeling. Words fail me.
The Birdman is a piece about the madness of anxiety and the beauty of human resiliency. In this piece I was interested in the many different ways birds are represented in pop culture. Primarily symbols of freedom, birds can also take on darker meanings and are often omens of a descent into madness. What I tried to represent here is the struggle towards a major comeback against anxiety and the freedom that comes with this peace.
