Heart Trauma

Artist Statement: I am an International Baccalaureate student at West High School. I made this piece as part of my focus portfolio, my focus being heart related imagery and symbolism through the use of emphasis. The heart is a graphite drawing mounted on foam core board with a combination of acrylic paint, gesso, and gravel for the blood, the piece was finished off with an exact-o knife jabbed into the board. The heart, commonly associated with the soul of a person, is being disrupted by the inorganic and metallic knife; the disruption brings out an extreme reaction from the heart. The piece is also largely symbolic of my own experiences with open heart surgery, and other invasive procedures. It displays the feelings of invasion, pain, and trauma related to open heart surgery.