Connected Lives
Amelia F.
Acrylic paint, paper collage
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Dating back centuries, women have been idealized through art, but through that process they are removed of the very thing that makes them who they are; they are removed of their autonomy, their faults, their humanity. The Veiled Virgin, painted in the blue sections, depicts Mary as a beautiful mysterious figure, but restricts her to an image of purity, virginity, and connection to men. Combined with Mary, together in their experience regardless of their differences, is the Girl with the Pearl Earring. This painting similarly traps its model in this image, an image of beauty and mystery. She is loved for beauty, but her humanity is lost. To show this loss of self, her features are painted as slowly disappearing with her. The pearl earring still remains however, but in its own form: colorful and expressive, containing a fingerprint in the center, valuing her humanity over her elegance.
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Creativity, to me, means self-expression. Through being creative, you can explore the world around you and who you are within it. Creativity doesn't just mean drawing realistically or writing something catchy; it can mean doing anything that helps you explore and grow in new, unique, and exciting ways.
