It is my distinct pleasure to be showing my art installation “Camouflage” at
Alfred State College’s Hinkle Gallery.
November 2-29th, 2017.
Beyond honored (and a little beside myself)
CAMOUFLAGE
Camouflage: [kam-uh-flahzh] noun Behavior or artifice designed to deceive, something (such as color or shape) that prevents attack by making the subject difficult to see in the area around it.
When my artistic journey took me from oil paint to watercolor I practiced my new medium by painting fashion illustrations. This made me question personal adornment in relation to social acceptance. Why do we dress the way we do? Why do we apply makeup? Change the color of our hair? Wear trendy items?
Perhaps it camouflages who we really are by “painting” on who we wish we could be. To be prettier, more popular, achieve a certain social status. Anyway you look at it there is a pressure to fit in and in doing so, we tend to conform to popular societal standards.
Early on, the chase for popularity is not about being internally strong, it is about looking a certain way or having the right kind of water bottle. This puts an unhealthy emphasis on superficial qualities such as body shape, skin tone, hair style or possessions and can lead girls to emphasize their physical being over their internal one. In wanting to be like the popular crowd we attempt to adapt to their style.
However, there are the few out there, the non-conformists, who dress for themselves and dance as if no one is watching. These individuals in most cases are shunned by the popular norm, called weird, odd, scowled at, and criticize for being different. But honestly, to me, these few are my heroes. With my painting I want to portray my interpretation of camouflage, using it to integrate, to disguise, to escape, to hide and ultimately portray both those who desire to be like the cool kids and those who shed their camo embracing their true colors.
