Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
2022
Four 8 × 8 in. panels
Acrylic
How to Shave Properly is presented almost like a simple four step instructional guide.
The first panel shows shaving cream being applied. The second shows it being rubbed onto the skin. The third introduces the razor. Everything looks ordinary until the final image changes the entire meaning of what came before it.
Instead of shaving, the figure has used the razor to hurt themselves.
I wanted the progression to feel uncomfortable because something completely normal slowly becomes something much darker. You can look at someone going through the motions of everyday life and assume everything is normal without having any idea what is happening inside their head.
That is part of what this piece represents to me.
Pain does not always announce itself. Someone can shower, shave, go to work, talk to people, laugh, and continue with their normal routine while privately struggling with thoughts that nobody else can see.
The simplicity of the figures is intentional too. There is almost nothing identifying the person. It could be anybody. The final panel is the first time we really understand what they are experiencing, and by then the ordinary routine has become something completely different.
There is also something darkly satirical about calling it How to Shave Properly. Obviously, this is not how to shave properly. The title disguises something painful as an instruction manual, which is exactly what makes the piece uncomfortable.
For me, creating darker work has sometimes been a way of taking thoughts and emotions that are difficult to explain and putting them somewhere outside of myself. A painting can say something that I might not always know how to say out loud.
Sometimes the person who looks like they are simply going through their normal routine is fighting something you cannot see.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or self harm, you do not have to keep those thoughts to yourself. In the United States, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential support.
2022
Four 8 × 8 in. panels
Acrylic
How to Shave Properly is presented almost like a simple four step instructional guide.
The first panel shows shaving cream being applied. The second shows it being rubbed onto the skin. The third introduces the razor. Everything looks ordinary until the final image changes the entire meaning of what came before it.
Instead of shaving, the figure has used the razor to hurt themselves.
I wanted the progression to feel uncomfortable because something completely normal slowly becomes something much darker. You can look at someone going through the motions of everyday life and assume everything is normal without having any idea what is happening inside their head.
That is part of what this piece represents to me.
Pain does not always announce itself. Someone can shower, shave, go to work, talk to people, laugh, and continue with their normal routine while privately struggling with thoughts that nobody else can see.
The simplicity of the figures is intentional too. There is almost nothing identifying the person. It could be anybody. The final panel is the first time we really understand what they are experiencing, and by then the ordinary routine has become something completely different.
There is also something darkly satirical about calling it How to Shave Properly. Obviously, this is not how to shave properly. The title disguises something painful as an instruction manual, which is exactly what makes the piece uncomfortable.
For me, creating darker work has sometimes been a way of taking thoughts and emotions that are difficult to explain and putting them somewhere outside of myself. A painting can say something that I might not always know how to say out loud.
Sometimes the person who looks like they are simply going through their normal routine is fighting something you cannot see.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or self harm, you do not have to keep those thoughts to yourself. In the United States, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential support.