This is a repost of a project started before the pandemic in 2019. Through those years our bodies and minds have changed considerably. Our self-depreciation remains, and has actually gotten worse. Mental illnesses and suicide are on the rise in the US and much of these can be linked to a media-driven low self esteem. It is my intent to continue this project in the coming year as I focus my work on the human figure and the human condition. Be yourself, love yourself, you are beauty.
BEAUTY – ARTIST’S STATEMENT, 2019
Beauty (Acceptance of Oneself)
What is beauty? My dictionary app defines it as “a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses.” It’s said that it is in the eye of the beholder, it’s skin deep, and to mass media – beauty is something we definitely are not. The endless flow of unrealistic images, information, and advertising of the “ideal body” forces us to compare ourselves to these impossible standards. Striving for an unattainable image we plunge into a hopeless abyss of body dissatisfaction, damaged self-esteem, and finally, loathing of ourselves. Granted, regular exercise and a proper diet are important, but where do you draw the line?
Ironically, it was fashion icon Coco Chanel that was quoted saying “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” To take that sentiment one further, Ralph Waldo Emerson stated that “to be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” In our 21st century image-driven society, it is a great accomplishment indeed.
This series of paintings is about the acceptance of oneself, no matter how imperfect we think we may be. I intend this to be an invitation to embrace our curves, our rolls, our blemishes, scars, and imperfections; to treat ourselves with kindness; to love others regardless of their shape or size; and mostly that, in spite of what the masters in the Soap Commercial World tell us, we really are all beautiful human beings with something to flaunt…so step outside of your comfort zone and flaunt it, baby, flaunt it!
“Always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: who cares?” – Tina Fey
pollard fine arts 