Sylvia Photograph - Limited Edition of 1

Art is the key to our innermost secrets; it represents what words cannot express-the unspoken. It has the power to convey the most rapturous scream, while at the same time, the softest of whispers. It is the most potent truth serum; it strips, tears, and rips apart the artist. Art is the disease and the antidote. My artwork analyzes and dissects the contemporary villain. I am particularly inspired by the concept of "monster" to demonstrate how villains are created by society through labeling and dehumanization. My goal is to make clear how "monster" is an abstract notion and represents the unknown and misunderstood rather than the evil or vile. In Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, the Creature is not inherently evil but, rather, is tortured. To demonstrate the monster, I utilize portraiture. Eyes are motifs in my art as I believe that eyes reflect the soul, thereby giving humanity to the creature. I use acrylic paints in addition to ball point pen, graphite, charcoal, and conté. I distort the human figure to create humanoid creatures. Red is a recurring color since it represents love and passion, while at the same time, rage, pain, and blood. The creature becomes a living, feeling, and emotional being whose torment is outside of its control.
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