Meathook

Nayeli Gonzalez

Area: Painting

Thesis Statement

My work lives in a world of discomfort and solace. I question the stable reality we live in and allow myself to be surrounded by my fragilities. The intrusive placement of rotting meat is integrated in the home environment to display an underlying feeling of vulnerability and openness.

My process surfaces to the top by allowing the under painting and sketching to shine through by creating gaps of space that are not opaque. Exposing the under painting creates a layer of sensitivity towards the home. Using color, I highlight the imperfections of reality. The juxtaposition of dark decaying meat in contrast with the bright and colorful room is significant on how polar emotions live together.

Inspired by expressionism and surrealism, the wobbled floors and a tilted 1-point perspective creates an altered version of a western domestic home. The awareness of perspective allows me to deal with directness of emotions a room can create. Allowing meat figures to interact with this skewed environment takes me to a state of regression. These paintings are a reflection of how my past has confronted me. I can build a better understanding of the world we live in by stepping into a room of honest imagery and look beyond the unsettling. Unsettling is something I have had to live with, and it continues to stay with me.