The Damsel
Naomi Z.
-
Apples have long represented evil, from Eve biting one in the garden of Eden to Snow White eating the poisoned fruit. The corruption of humanity is thus often placed upon women. The damsel in distress is an idealized figure who men often perceive as passive and in need of being saved from corruption. I wanted to create a scene with a storybook-like quality that represented these ideas while centering female characters and re-imagining them in a queer setting.
Additionally, I was able to create this piece by thinking about songs I've been resenting and why it was. The songs that inspired this piece were "Dissolve" by Joji, "Humpty" by Mitski, and ""This Could Build Us a Home"" by The Garden. In order to relate to "Dissolve", I used red smoke to represent dissolving as mentioned in the song. For "Humpty", I used cracks in the skin to represent that no matter what I could try to piece back together, it'll end up falling about in the end as mentioned in the song. Lastly, to represent "This Could Build Us a Home" I used the clock and the contrasting rainbow in the background to show that time is running out and I need to try to run from it. With these songs, it created the piece I call "Shattered Clock".
-
Creativity is crucial for me to reflect upon my experiences and interests. No matter what we make, our subconscious worries, wants, and lingering questions will shine through. Art helps me to not only understand myself but find a way to communicate it to others.
