Visual Arts/Graphic Arts

"Restrictions are experienced in every facet of life, including school, family, and even things as limitless as creating art. The burden of such restrictions has commonly been endured by women. I can recall times in my life when I heard my mother utter the words “I need to eat less,” or my grandmother smile at me and mention how she “ate too much.” Instinctively, I followed these ideas that food should be treated as an inconvenience. This idea was furthered through online exposure to women being praised for unattainably thin bodies. When asked how these women achieved their look, I would hear a common denominator in answers: “a diet.” Women all over the world struggle with restricting eating, including myself. Through elegant brushstrokes and intricate blending, I created a narrative that explores this often-complicated relationship with food. A focal point in the piece is the blue bowl held by the figure. By using the traditionally masculine color of blue, I was able to portray food as a facet of life that is for “men.” My fearful face looking into a blue bowl shows the rejection of food as a substantial aspect of my life. However, this facade falls away with the impactful addition of a pink bow entrapping my mouth. The pink bow, which is made up of a carefully contorted ribbon, represents feminine social norms. The bow is satin, which helps add to the layer of femininity that it represents because of how delicate it is, symbolizing how women are often viewed. The bow is sewn onto the canvas, another traditionally women-dominated field. This addition of the pink ribbon shows that even though I want to eat, society’s expectations for women truly restrict the action of eating in my life." -Hadley Crislip