During graduate school, the female torso developed as a new focal point for my work. My intense desire for life opened my Pandora’s Box. I saw my buried self and raged against how awful it felt. Through the torso I was discovering and rediscovering my hidden self--anger, joy, beauty, contemplation.
Where did I learn to hide behind a good girl mask? Context and results showed me that it worked when pacifying my parents and teachers, but they hadn’t instructed me to do it. It didn’t take long to understand that I inherited suppression and the desire/need/know-how for being “lovely” from Mom. I suppressed my feelings and wore a lovely mantel to safely navigate through childhood. But what was Mom’s motivation?
