In Our Family Portrait, We Look Pretty Happy: I’ve Cried Swimming Pools

I’ve Cried Swimming Pools Mixed Media Varied Scale 2020
The painting in this work focuses on an event that took place during my middle school years. Repeatedly, fun summer days beside the pool would end in tears. This work is an homage to those tears and the feeling of metaphorically “drowning” in a situation I was unable to affect. The posturized style of the self-portrait is meant to add to the unsettling feeling brought on by my works.
This work focuses on the dichotomy between the appearance and actuality of one’s home life. The imagery and color palette allude to unwanted presences and events in my life and illustrate the sharp contrast between the appearance and reality of my home life and every aspect of the work has an important meaning and purpose. My work represents my traumatic childhood and the process of recovery that came from recreating it.