Painting 2

This art is from my painting 2 class, which I took the spring of 2009. With my love of wood I found myself ignoring canvas for all of my paintings. In this class I began to explore my role in society as a women.

The first piece, "Women" is acrylic on medium density fiberboard. The women in the piece is an exaggerated housewife. I was thinking of all the physical features that women are often expected to have in America, so I gave her gigantic breasts, a tiny waist, and small weak feet and wrists. She is offering both herself as well as her well cooked turkey to the viewer. In the back window, feminists protest her way of life. On her fridge I have taped some passed ideals of women.

The rest of the pieces displayed are a mixture of acrylic and charcoal on wood. I wanted to bring drawing into my paintings as I had brought paint into my past drawings. These paintings are a commentary on make up, its application, and its over application. As a tomboy I avoid make up, but I see it as a necessary evil in my future as the time I will have to go for job interviews looms closer. I find make up an odd ritual where women poke and prod at their faces for hours with small torture devices and toxic chemicals, only to improve their beauty just slightly. I also find the looks people make when applying make up hilarious. I remember laughing at myself as I went through the motions to put on a simple contact. As for making the women in the paintings especially gaudy, well I work in a library and find the fashion magazines passing through my fingers onto the shelves. These poor models often have ridiculous amounts of makeup plastered on their faces.