Saturday, December 14, 2013

The Tainted Trinity


Name: Tainted Trinity
Medium: Acrylic on canvas.
size: 48"x 30" (or 12"x 30", 24"x 30", 12"x 30")
Hi! Today I'd like to share with you guys a piece of art (or three pieces, as it is a triptych type of painting) I created. It took me a good 5 months to finish this massive piece of artwork, and it's a bit hard to let it go and move on to other pieces.

Here is an explanation and a few thoughts about the Tainted Trinity:
I started this piece around August as part of a series explaining rape culture. This particular piece attempts to take a look at how the worship of virginity leads to the condemnation and degradation of females. The first piece on the left utilizes the imagery of the immaculate heart of Mary to convey the message of how destructive the concept of purity is. Typically, the heart of Mary is shown with a ring of yellow roses around it, and I wanted to explain, through this painting, how the concept of virginity led to women being ashamed of themselves and their sexual choices. The thorns from the roses of Mary's heart cut into women-kind, creating an image that women are nothing but sex objects.
The second piece (in the middle) attempts to discuss and analyze the discouragement females receive in the pursuit of knowledge. In the Christian creation myth, when Eve pursues knowledge by plucking the apple from the forbidden tree, she leads the downfall of all mankind. If she was wiser and less petty, like Adam, they, as well as their children, would be able to live in paradise. Thus, the idea that women are less than men is borne. Similarly, when women try to obtain higher positions in society, they are heavily discouraged and insulted, because it is not their place to want more knowledge and opportunities. Women who attempt to elevate themselves intellectually are seen as selfish and pushy, as their natural place is a nurturer, not a leader.
The third piece on the right tells the simplest message. The idea of virginity leads to the crucifixion of women, as women who "sleep around" and are not as pure as Virgin Mary are considered as sinners, and thus deserve to be burned and crucified.
All in all, this painting was a great experience for me, and I hope I can post more of my artwork in the future. Tell me what you think about it!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Music Artist Recommendation: Baths


Greetings! I'd like to share one of my favorite artists with you guys- his name is Will Wiesenfield, but he's much better known as his stage name, Baths.

Baths is known for his unique chill-wave style. He meticulously combines unconventional sounds together, such as running water and clicking pens, with more traditional music instruments. His tone ranges from carefree in his earlier works (cerulean, 2010) to a darker and heavier sound in his later albums (obsidian, 2013). Although he is mainly electronic based, he does include some repetitive vocals to add another element of interest.

My recommended songs from him include: Earth Death, Rain Smell, Miasma Sky, and Phaedra.

If artists such as Toro Y Moi, Gold Panda, Clams Casino, Hundred Waters, and Holy Other interest you, you will definitely add Baths onto your lists of favorites as well! I encourage all of you to go and check it out.

Here is a link to his spotify profile: https://play.spotify.com/artist/5zS8r5hRRk1jzD41yYS1NO

Sunday, December 8, 2013

An Introduction

Hello all! 
My name is Pat. I'm an aspiring artist and author from the sunny state of California. 

This is, admittedly, a nerve-wracking experience (I hear the first post is always the hardest), but I hope I'll be able to make good use of this website and befriend many other bloggers. 

A little about me: My full name is Patricia, although I go by Pat. My family is from mainland China, and I speak Chinese, English, and a bit of French. My passions include music, reading, writing, art, photography, and fashion. My music taste ranges from baroque to heavy metal and I hope I'll share some of that with you as well, with music recommendations. I play the cello and the piano, although I prefer the former over the latter.  Currently, my favorite authors are Shirley Jackson and Franz Kafka, and I enjoy writing poetry and fiction, and although I don't write for an audience, I am always open to sharing my own work as well as reviewing other works. 

I consider myself an artist-in-progress- a lot of my recent work revolves around sexism and rape culture, although I do create a lot of technique-based artworks as well. As for photography, I prefer film over digital pieces. I will definitely share my own artwork soon, and I hope to recommend you to some good artists and photographers as well! 

This blog is dedicated to exposures of art in any form or media- thus the name iconolatries, which means the worship of icons, or two-dimensional images. As you read my blog, I challenge you to drop your established dogmas and cultures for a taste of iconolatry. So  please, come in, and leave a comment or an email!