Love Me or Hate Me

Abstract

Growing up I wasn’t introduced to art until I was in high school, and even then it was made out as a joke. My family was not one to go to art museums, because they did not know anything about art. Once I got into college, I found my love for art. Ever since then art has become my escape. It helps me deal with my anxiety.

Ever since my dad came into my life at the age of five, I have not had much of a relationship with him. This is because he allowed his wife and mother-in-law to mentally, emotionally, and verbally abuse me. Because of them I have had many issues with my self-worth. This is the premise of my show. I want to show how words said to a person effects them on the inside even if their outside does not show the effect.

My wheel thrown pieces are aesthetically pleasing and look functional, but they are all, in fact, non-functional on the inside. They either have a hole or a non-food safe texture glaze. These pieces each have a word of hate on the outside that has been said to me at some point in my life. To contrast those pieces, I have hand-built pieces that mirror the wheel thrown. The difference is that the hand-built pieces have words of love or encouragement that have been said to me at some point in my life. These pieces have a raw and organic look on the outside and a beautiful blue glaze on the inside.

Through my work I am hoping to show people what has made me into the person I am today, and why I continue to work on myself daily. I hope my show “Love Me or Hate Me” can give insight into what words can do to someone’s mental health, and how it can affect them in the long run.