He refused to see me, because that would mean he’d have to look at himself, too. He never liked what he saw in his own eyes, but he took a lot of photos. Looked for proof that he was worthy in every reflective surface he passed. His reflection was like an oil spill - full of rainbows and sparkles at first glance, but there was no definition, no boundaries, no identifiable edges. The reality of him was sticky. Heavy. Slippery.
This collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.
This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.
The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.
