My work is about more than the simple transformation of something ugly into something that is visually compelling and beautiful. The process of creating these images plays a crucial role in their meaning. Repetition is an important part of both the painting process and the viewing process. By repeating the image over and over, I desensitize myself and my audience to the nature (violence?) of the death. Repetition takes away from the immediate uncomfortable visual impact of blood and organs, and creates an object of contemplation and coping. I shy away from large social statements in my work. I feel that I can achieve something universally affective by addressing the personal. I chose the bird as imagery because they have both personal effect and symbolic significance in nearly every culture. They can be granted meaning as the viewer wishes. There is room for personal interpretation in my work. I hope that a viewer would not pick up on the details of my personal situation through my painting, but that they would be able to project their own feelings and sentiments onto the image. ida Floreak |
In my personal painting work I grapple with issues of unexpected death and loss. My interest in painting these animals began with a simple visual fascination with an object that was destroyed, but still beautiful, and then was solidified by a series of personal losses. In painting these images, I attempt to portray them not as gruesome artifacts but as isolated objects. I suspend them in a state of recent death—after life has passed but before time and decay can have their effect.