The Worst in Me
Location
FA-152
Start Date
2-5-2025 12:00 PM
Department
Art + Design
Abstract
My work expresses a personal relationship of feeling hindered by anxiety and depression, which creates a connection with others who relate to these experiences. This form of visual expression serves as emotional relief by illustrating the struggles of mental health through the use of iconography such as skulls, reapers, and monsters. Surrounding these images are elements that are described as beautiful, such as flowers, nature, and other everyday objects. This juxtaposition lightens the subject while reminding us that beauty exists all around us. The symbolism of flowers is not just used for their beauty but is a reference to Renaissance still life paintings that featured pots of flowers. The goal of this theme was to immortalize beauty and strive to capture what gives life meaning. Through my art, I communicate that life is short yet can be beautiful if we choose to make it so. It is a reminder that this beauty is often taken for granted, much like our own lives. The Worst In me emphasizes these feelings through an altarpiece inspired by those seen through the Renaissance. The outer piece seen through closed doors on the altar piece is a representation of how one expresses themselves externally and the image one allows others to see while concealing what's inside. Opening the altarpiece symbolizes opening up to others about your inner struggles. It becomes a triptych that illustrates the tensions being pulled against the center figure and that symbolizes myself through self-portraiture. These tensions are representations of both anxiety and depression as figures on the left and right doors.
Faculty Sponsor
Nate Mathews
The Worst in Me
FA-152
My work expresses a personal relationship of feeling hindered by anxiety and depression, which creates a connection with others who relate to these experiences. This form of visual expression serves as emotional relief by illustrating the struggles of mental health through the use of iconography such as skulls, reapers, and monsters. Surrounding these images are elements that are described as beautiful, such as flowers, nature, and other everyday objects. This juxtaposition lightens the subject while reminding us that beauty exists all around us. The symbolism of flowers is not just used for their beauty but is a reference to Renaissance still life paintings that featured pots of flowers. The goal of this theme was to immortalize beauty and strive to capture what gives life meaning. Through my art, I communicate that life is short yet can be beautiful if we choose to make it so. It is a reminder that this beauty is often taken for granted, much like our own lives. The Worst In me emphasizes these feelings through an altarpiece inspired by those seen through the Renaissance. The outer piece seen through closed doors on the altar piece is a representation of how one expresses themselves externally and the image one allows others to see while concealing what's inside. Opening the altarpiece symbolizes opening up to others about your inner struggles. It becomes a triptych that illustrates the tensions being pulled against the center figure and that symbolizes myself through self-portraiture. These tensions are representations of both anxiety and depression as figures on the left and right doors.