
Formal Analysis
Mother Nature is a 36’’x60’’ mixed media work on canvas. The whole piece contains variations of pinks, purples, and dark maroon colors. The center focal point is created with latch hook rugs, fabric, tulle, mirror, and fused glass, and the textiles are built up in layers overlapping on one another. To the left and right of the focal point, there are sculpted elements that look like a mountain range with a variation from dark to light throughout. This abstract representation is of the beauty in mother nature. The female genitalia is recognizable to the viewer, though it is represented in a non-literal way.
The subject relies on the beauty and strength of the female body. It emphasizes femininity and the power of women through mother nature. The dominant elements include texture and color and I utilized this so that the viewers’ eyes move around the artwork. Also, the texture is one of the main elements that we find in nature that relates back to my subject matter. For instance, the epoxy clay was like working with the earth; the mixing of the clay felt like mud/sand through my fingers. The uneven shapes were created with epoxy clay and mesh wiring. The sculpted clay brings shadows into the piece that allows for depth like the highs and lows in a mountain valley. The varying shades of pink and purple allow for values between spaces. I intentionally combined hard and soft materials to coincide with the female experience. The hard materials symbolize the strength women continue to maintain through difficult times such as sexual violence, birth, or even beauty standards. The soft materials represent the many attributes women carry such as motherly instincts, nurturing, compassion, and sensuality. In the middle section of the piece, I used latch hook rugs, fabric, tulle, mirror, and fused glass. The layers of textiles create a distorted and abstract representation of the vagina to allow the viewer to create their own interpretation. Additionally, the analogous color scheme provides unity within the piece. Unity is a crucial principle of design in my work because women often find sisterhood through shared experiences. The scale of the work was intentional to attract viewers. The piece will stand alone against a white wall with direct lighting. The viewer will have time to isolate themselves from the work to understand the message of life from Mother Nature. The repetition in latch hook, fabric, and color plays into the idea of repetition in nature. The mirror located in the center ties the whole piece together conceptually and visually. The mirror is not quite seen, but the viewer is meant to find themselves within Mother Nature. These elements and principles contribute to a finished statement piece.
Overall, the meaning of Mother Nature is to expose and appreciate the capabilities of the female body along with the appreciation of life itself, the idea that we all come from a mother, and expose the things we might take for granted. The materials I used for the piece provide a quality that also helps to get the message across. The hard and soft materials symbolize the conquering of hard times and the qualities that women carry. My inspiration comes from my interest in feminism and the strength of women. I connect nature to my female identity since we all come from and live off nature. Since the viewer will be able to see themselves within the piece, I hope to create gratitude towards life and the resilience that women carry. I have worked on this topic in past works, though I decided to make Mother Nature larger so that the message is louder. I hope the exposure to this art will guide viewers to understand these crucial topics. Additionally, I hope that my viewers can relate to this piece and that it will provide comfort, exploration, and interest. I feel that Mother Nature successfully conveys this message.