Description
This painting “Lily” is about encroaching expectations. In Art History a lily sprig often represents purity, meekness, mildness – especially when it’s positioned close to the virgin Mary, for example in medieval altarpieces. Here, the lily encroaches on Lily’s space, and waves in her face. She looks down her nose at it (unimpressed).
I’ve painted Lily with a pale complexion, in an echo of the white flower’s “purity”. It’s just a flower though, she’s just a person – both flawed, imperfect.
There is “dangerous pollen” on a lily! Many mother’s daughters will say to their own offspring (as I do, as my mum does:) “Careful of the pollen, it will stain!”. I like the metaphor here: we treat the intelligent person Lily with respect, she’s not just a female body, her mind, like the pollen, is a potential agent of anarchy.
Drawn and painted in enduring acrylic inks and paint, on a cradled wooden panel, this piece is 61 x 39.5cm, and about 1cm deep with a white-painted edge. Ready to hang.
