Ridiculous Obsession
Erin Milan (Centennial, CO)
Oil on Panel, 5” W x 7” H
Artwork:
Always checking the stomach in the mirror.
Artist Statement:
Existence can be a real kick in the teeth. The thru line in all of my work is the attempt to come to terms with what it feels like to be human. These small Mirror Selfies began as documentation of my experience with hating my body. One doesn't need to look far to find robust research and testimonials that women are barraged with the message that their appearance is not enough. I noticed myself neurotically and compulsively checking in the mirror; if I felt thin it was a good day, if my stomach was too large or my breasts too saggy, my mood plummeted. I began taking photos with my phone, something I've done as an artist over the years during difficult seasons, as a means to process the big feelings. Eventually I gained the courage to paint the images. They are small, vulnerable, raw: personal expressions of what my experience as a person in a female body is. I am not alone. We're doing it all wrong.
Artist Statement:
Existence can be a real kick in the teeth. The thru line in all of my work is the attempt to come to terms with what it feels like to be human. These small Mirror Selfies began as documentation of my experience with hating my body. One doesn't need to look far to find robust research and testimonials that women are barraged with the message that their appearance is not enough. I noticed myself neurotically and compulsively checking in the mirror; if I felt thin it was a good day, if my stomach was too large or my breasts too saggy, my mood plummeted. I began taking photos with my phone, something I've done as an artist over the years during difficult seasons, as a means to process the big feelings. Eventually I gained the courage to paint the images. They are small, vulnerable, raw: personal expressions of what my experience as a person in a female body is. I am not alone. We're doing it all wrong.
From the We're Doing It ALL Wrong® - 4th Annual Art Exhibition