bruised but pure
This is Geryon, a mythical figure reinterpreted by Anne Carson in the wonderful book Autobiography of Red, recommended to me by a friend. Stylistically, this is a bit of a departure for me, but it seemed to come out with such clarity when not much else was clear. The title is “bruised but pure,” an excerpt pulled from the book. When I was working on this drawing, I was going through feelings of isolation, loneliness, and anxiety — heavy but common feelings that many went through this year, feelings that ask us to directly confront ourselves. I used to be comfortable in the lukewarm water that was my life. I was confident and assured that everything would work out, because it usually did. This optimistic mindset is an undeserved privilege which ultimately turned out to be a handicap, at once both comforting and blinding. While this hasn’t been an easy year, I’ve discovered that in suffering there is unfiltered fragility — a rare opportunity to build back from the bottom up. These internal challenges have gifted me a new sense of empathy and understanding, as well as a new kind of joy. In my interpretation of Geryon, a mythical figure reinterpreted by Anne Carson in the novel Autobiography of Red, I couldn't shake the heavy feeling of isolation, loneliness, and anxiety that seemed to permeate the air the first year of the pandemic. Before, I was content to float along in the lukewarm waters of my life, assured that everything would work out because it usually did. This optimism, a privilege in itself, turned out to be both a comfort and a hindrance. I found a fragile beauty in starting again from the ground up. Internal struggles gave me a deeper empathy and understanding, as well as a newfound joy in the midst of hardship. "In creating this drawing, I sought to express the intense emotions of isolation, loneliness, and anxiety that characterized the first year of the pandemic. Previously, I had maintained a sense of complacency, relying on the belief that my life would continue to unfold in a predictable manner. However, this optimistic perspective, a privilege in and of itself, ultimately proved to be a double-edged sword, providing both solace and blindness. Through the process of creating this artwork, I discovered the power of starting anew, a concept explored in the art theory of rebirth and renewal. The difficulties I faced gave me a greater capacity for empathy and understanding, as well as a newfound appreciation for joy in the face of hardship." "In my interpretation of Geryon, a mythical figure reinterpreted by Anne Carson in the novel Autobiography of Red, I sought to convey the overwhelming emotions of isolation, loneliness, and anxiety that characterized the first year of the pandemic. Prior to this, I had maintained a sense of complacency, relying on the assumption that my life would continue to progress smoothly. However, this optimistic outlook, a privilege in itself, ultimately served as both a comfort and a limitation. Through the process of creating this artwork, I discovered the transformative power of starting afresh, a concept often explored in the art theory of rebirth and renewal. The challenges I faced granted me a greater understanding and appreciation for empathy, as well as a newfound sense of joy in the face of adversity."