Graphite, watercolour, pencil, soft pastel & pen on paper.
36.5 cmW x 54 cmH (Frame 49.7cmW x 67.2 cmH)
This piece has been in the background of my dreams for years. Originally it was more focused around the idea of being submerged in darkness and a sense of struggle but it did not play out how I expected.
While I painted this piece, I thought on the idea of being saved. I imagined the mermaid was alone in that dark cold space and the idea of another being would bring sweet relief. On the other hand, the water is her home and where she belongs, her body is not made for life on the surface. Here is a hero, poised to rescue her from her icy cage. She reaches towards him but is mistaking her desire for connection with what she really wants for her life. Will she let herself be ‘saved’ and sacrifice her very nature just to not be alone?
I remember so many times trying to mould myself to others. I had such a poorly defined sense of self that I didn’t know what was good for me or what I wanted. When someone came and said they knew what was best, I assumed they must be right and followed them. I was so scared of being alone and abandoned that I would force myself to be someone else’s version of ‘happy’ and ‘saved’, rather than looking within myself and making the choice that was right for me. I was born to swim the depths of the unknown oceans.
When I look at this piece, I don’t know which she will choose- will she be saved by him or saved by her self. I see the conflict in her face and I feel it in me.
If you are interested in giving “Saved?” a space in your world, please contact Platform Gallery directly.
Accept/Resist 11th-28th October
Platform Gallery
194 Katoomba St, Katoomba, NSW 2780
Ph: 02 4742 0047
E: hello@platformgallery.co
W: www.platformgallery.co