Purple Flower (High Anxiety Tea Party) Print

Andrea DiFiore is passionate about nature and the environment, which is reflected in her artwork. She is influenced by other artists, philosophers such as Thales and poets like Neruda. She taught herself Adobe Photoshop and began using the computer as another medium. She has seamlessly combined traditional painting with her digital work. More recently she has utilized photography to create new works. Ms. DiFiore currently resides in New York City with her rescue pup, Tuuli. Title of work: High Anxiety Tea Party Several years back I had an idea to make artwork pertaining to mental illness. Today, individuals (and families) are afflicted with mental illness more than the public is aware of. From depression/anxiety to PTSD, and lacking fundamental coping skills, mental illness can lead to a lifetime of unavoidable complications. As an artist, I wanted to bring awareness to the disorder the only way I knew how: visually. Metaphorically, I chose the strong yet fragile teacup. The single image represents the isolation people experience when they suffer from an illness. The looming background expresses vulnerability and loneliness. The cracks resemble a person’s “defects”, or the cracking that occurs during nervous breakdowns. It is the baggage that many people strive to live with, emphasizing the idea that no one is perfect. People need to feel accepted and not stigmatized. I bought teacups, broke them and glued them back together. The gluing represents putting ourselves back together. Healing. The cups became vesal again, with flaws, but still able to hold liquid. I then realized that I could not break such pretty objects, so I illustrated the cracks digitally. I set up each cup and photographed them (with my Canon A7) individually on grey seamless. I have a series of 15 pieces so far and counting. Andrea DiFiore