The Way They Stare, 1 Painting

"The Way They Stare, 1 ", from the body of work titled, "The New Body" and the series, "Loud, with Taylor", 2021 A few years ago my marriage ended in a long, drawn out, and contentious way. The emotional torture my heartbroken ex-husband dragged me through, for over a year, was abhorrent. It broke me in 90 different ways. Rebuilding my self-esteem from the mere ashes he left behind, was challenging. My life was made a lot easier by the amazing alpha females I found myself surrounded by. These women taught me to love my body, no matter the shape or size. They taught me to take control of my sexuality, to find myself, to grow, and most importantly, they showed me the power in championing other women. This explorative series is about the women who have fundamentally changed me. This is a big “fuck you” to the men who have burned me. There is power that exists in images of myself and other resolute women as a base for my abstract work. In that moment, the model’s self-assurance is exalted, whether it be me or someone else. Photography adds an element of documentation. It is raw and real — unlike my large abstract paintings — that function as an expressive interpretation of who I am. I am an artist, who makes stuff, that makes people think about things. These photoshoots I style, shoot, and edit have become a genesis for mixed media pieces; mixed media art that exists for all women. The New Body is a series of work normalizing self-sexualization. It is about any human who identifies as a woman — who intimately understands the complexity of body image issues. It is about unveiling my truest self while venerating others. It echoes vulnerability and power in a symbiotic chamber. Perhaps it will jolt the elder generations of feminists with distaste as they look down on our “bad” millennial behavior. Maybe the artwork will be only for me. Maybe it will resonate with the masses. I cannot say for sure where this work will land. I can however, I am truly enjoying this work and the process.