THE END OF SHAME
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THE END OF SHAME 〰️
“I’d been wanting to explore the theme of shame artistically for a while, originally playing with the title, ‘The Story of Shame.’ Before starting I simmered on the theme, considering the colour palette and potential imagery I might incorporate or use as a jumping off point. I was reflecting on shame, the choking effect it tends to have and that what it leads to ultimately is isolation and disconnection. Once I hit on isolation as a keyword I had my visual jumping off point. An iceberg became the central story anchor, which felt particularly relevant in an enclosed space, capturing the sense of existing behind a cold shell, frozen in the past, disconnected, hibernating...
“Initially, when I started painting I restricted myself mostly to a blue colour palette in order to create a cold atmosphere, with darker shades on the ground to suggest deep water and lighter colours on the walls for the iceberg. Two things ended up dramatically changing the story and lead to what is now the final title and sentiment of the installation, ‘The End of Shame.’
The first was the fireplace.
Instinctively I painted a light pink mist coming out of it. As the installation gradually evolved and I dropped into my body more, the fire got warmer, brighter and became the centrepiece. Fire figuratively and literally warmed up the space… ‘melting’ or transforming the original frozen narrative of shame, into one of freedom from the past. The fire helped direct the movement and direction for the rest of my marks.
This creative experience also affirmed that sometimes the story unfolds only one chapter at a time.
“I played with the concept of a dividing ‘curtain’, using fabric that felt transparent and lightweight enough that the light could get through. The curtain explored division between parts of our inner world and, over time, also came to represent transitioning into being less censored. With lighter, less rigid walls between inner parts… and boundaries that can be moved or abandoned.
“The second thing that altered how I painted in the space and thought about the overall design was greenery growing through some of the cracks in the studio. I liked that Existence was creeping back in and couldn’t be held back or permanently disconnected from… so there was the introduction of wildness and renewal. This reflected in how I painted - a little more wildly and with less bodily restriction.
Click here for PART 1 of The End of Shame…