Up-Rooted and Broken Down
OVERVIEW: Using the idea of a teacup to represent women in today’s society, we are portrayed as fragile, delicate, and petite little things. However, we are very rarely viewed as the strong ones that can handle the heat we are given on a daily basis. By using antique teacups and native succulents, I chose to take the two variables, alter them, and move them into each other’s environment.
Do not be afraid to be up-rooted or broken down to become whole again
CHALLENGE: Create a sculpture that encompasses the word “FEAR.”
IDEA: Prompted to create a piece based on the word fear, I dove into the fear of the unknown. But more importantly, I wanted it to be beautiful. Women in today’s society experience fear in every sense of word. I chose to focus on the fear of not being enough, the fear of being different, the fear of changing or trying new things, the fear of trying to fit in. Many women hide their fear so well you wouldn’t even notice something is out of place.
RESULT: Wanting to honor women, I chose to find elements to work with that are typically more feminine; flowers and porcelain teacups. The more I created, the more stereotypes I kept finding to reinforce the work. Both teacups and women appear fragile and delicate, but both can take on a lot of heat and are actually quite strong. Both succulents and women can be very rooted, but also can grow and thrive in places beyond the norm. My concept of being up-rooted or broken down found beauty and success outweighed fear.
