Expression
This series is the progression of my Repression series. It explores the new and complicated emotions I presently deal with, learning how to express them instead of repress them. I continue to use myself as the figure in the paintings to portray my autobiographical experiences. I wanted to utilize the emotion that the human face can already express, along with what can be conveyed through the paint itself. The goal of the paintings was not to be able to label each painting with a defined emotion, but rather to be able to simply feel what each painting is about. Each figure is in a pose and facial expression that fits the mood for each painting’s theme, and uses a color palette that I associate with that mood. The raw, abstract part of the painting was done spontaneously, without the planning of the figurative aspects. The result is a combination of control and chaos. The manic paintings have frenzied, sprawling brushwork, while the somber paintings--still thick and expressive--have more tactfully applied paint. Similar to the Repression series, I wanted to keep the exact meaning of the series private, but it is my aim through figurative abstraction, moody color palettes, and grungy paint application that any viewer may be able to connect to the universal experience of being overwhelmed and vulnerable to their emotions. This series is an evolution in my work in that it has more exploration in spontaneity and letting emotions guide the work rather than scrutinizing and analyzing them.
