Teacher Name: Annamaria Castellucci Cabral
Grade: 12
Artist Statement: Inspired by both the critiques of marriage from Francisco Goya and Vasili Vladimirovich Pukirev, and the praising/appreciation of marriage by Marc Chagall the artwork is a neutral take on marriage.
I split the artwork into two sides. Separated by the wedding aisle, the left side contains a vibrant flourishing plane of grass yet clear of other commonly desired plant growth such as flowers, the right side contains the same vibrant flourishing plane of grass yet has a vibrant Crape Myrtle, flourishing the flower sacred to the goddess of love, Aphrodite. However, when looking at what else lies on each side the presence of birds towards the top of the picture is noticed. The two birds flying off together on the left side depict a fruitful marriage, the partners (birds) are embracing each other, one of them gliding off the draft of the other, and the grass lacks flowers not because of a lack of love but because that love is beautifully focused elsewhere. The bird on the right side is alone soaring through the skies outside of marriage with flourishing grass and flowers. The grass is equally as green on both sides, and the amount of love is also; love is present in the form of the Crape Myrtle. The artwork emphasizes that love can be found in or outside of marriage and that it might not look the same for both sides.
The wedding aisle is composed of shiny black flowers. The color black was chosen to be symbolic of the attitude that marriage is difficult and practically guaranteed to fail. The aisle is symbolic of the dark road ahead. When initially planning the composition of the wedding arbor I planned to have a Crape Myrtle’s flower bush at the bottom of the ends of the arbor. However, because of limited supplies, I was unable to produce the necessary pink flowers and instead alternated the pink and black flowers to create the arbor.
Through my artwork, I intend to emphasize the understanding that Marriage isn’t something needed for love or to demonstrate love. Growing up in a divorced household I was always under the impression that my parents’ marriage failed because of a lack of love but I realize now that my parents’ love for me and my siblings is why they recognized the toxicity in their relationship. I want to express to others that love isn’t just found in marriage. I also want to express the varying natures of marriage. There are marriages with love and there are marriages with no love. Marriage is what the partners make of it and each other.
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