Forgot to add this here, didn’t I?
Drawing within a found frame, approximately 22 x 30; will incorporate candy boxes, candy, birthday candles, bone, collaged valentine cards, birthday cards, bandages perhaps. Ideally, the composition should be somewhat symmetrical, though complete symmetry isn’t necessary or wanted. Colors will be soft, tints and shades of pink and blue and green with some black and off-white integrated as necessary.
Subject wise – should look deceptively innocent/harmless. Childlike, not overtly macabre. This is the difficult part to explain….I’m looking at antitypical childhood experiences/memories/trauma in a kind of semi (but nonlinear) narrative fashion. I was thinking about cultural symbolism behind food, then went from there. Such things may have a different connotation to those of us with “abnormal” life experiences (as lots of things are wont to do). For instance, looking at a Norman Rockwell-ish painting of family/community doesn’t give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. It reminds me of other things I’d rather not think about. And, in the case of the drawing I’m proposing, Valentine’s candies/birthday cakes and suchlike things sometimes garner different reactions from me than from most other people. (Incidentally, Valentine’s Day happens to be my birthday, which also makes it my twin sister’s birthday. This does come into play here, believe it or not.) I’m using food as a springboard subject, but the content is departed from the subject of food. Another important point – though this drawing is personal, the subject matter (in terms of childhood memory/trauma) is, of course, not unique to me. I think there are certain people who, because of their life experiences, will have an easier time reading this drawing than others. That’s logical and fine with me.
st. shrimp 