Inner Torment

I created this piece during a series of very difficult events in my life. It is titled "Inner Torment" for this reason. I needed an outlet for my emotions and naturally I turned to art. I didn't know what direction I wanted to go in but my subconscious did. I allowed my feelings to take over and this was the product.

I wanted to express the burning need to release my burden and how it affected me, not only driving me crazy but hindering my physical health as well. The skeleton is the base structure of your being, so choosing it to be the thing ripping its way out of the body was my best interpretation of my emotions. The events in my life have left me feeling structure-less and empty.

The composition within the piece has a diagonal flow, leading the onlooker's eye throughout the the entire piece. There are many intricacies to be looked at and the smoke weaving in and out the two figures guides the eyes and at the same time forces them to see everything at once.

The use of color and line thickness brings depth to the figures. I decided I wanted very subtle, pale colors to represent the drained state I was in. I felt that bringing in something very saturated would confuse the concept of the art.

There is also movement within the piece felt by the positioning of the skeleton along with the smoke. I feel as though everyone inherently feels movement when given a picture of smoke due to our basic knowledge of how it looks like and acts in real life, which is why I chose smoke to be the tying factor between the two figures.

I chose these inspiration pieces below for their style and meaning. I needed a way to convey the dismal feelings violently churning within me. My use of the human skeleton is a frequent occurrence within my work typically representing my inner most thoughts and emotions.

I find the skeleton to be a powerful representation because it is something deeply hidden within yourself, everyone knows you have one, yet you are the only one who knows it personally. The same thing can be said of emotions. They are something only you know so deeply, typically hidden away from others as to exude a happier appearance for others.