Severed Heart Cake

Stephen Tobin

The vision I have for my second project for this class is a sliced-in-half cake in the form of a human heart with cracks carved in it. It is not simply a delicacy for my students to consume, but it stems from the fact that I have never been in a romantic relationship and the COVID-19 pandemic has only diminished my hopes and chances of ever finding a lover within the next few years. Speaking of the pandemic, it is also in dialogue with how my classmates, people of my generation, have suffered from the isolation enforced by the lockdown. It has only yielded an all-time low for my mental state. Therefore, the cake is a visual representation of my breaking point, and essentially this heart is mine. 

About the Artist

My overall creative practice revolves around themes regarding mental health, particularly from a personal standpoint in terms of issues I suffer through, and inspiration from the artistic value of the things I am passionate about, such as metal music and association football. When it comes to mediums used to demonstrate this, frequent ones are graphite pencil and Procreate, both of which I have been jumbling in between as of late. However, in recent years, I have given other mediums a try, such as papier-mache, oil paint, and even fabric. I have used the former to create a mask representing everything I hate about society as well as myself, and it certainly ties into themes of personal issues and what my favorite musicians write about. Although, I do intend to find a niche in Procreate. There are many possible things I can do with it in my coming event horizons as an artist.  

Additional Documentation