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Morbid Pride


Medium: Charcoal
Dimensions: 22x30in
Time: 2022
Program: RISD Summer Program 2022, Interpreting the Figure: Culture and Context
Professor: Bryan Melillo
Beauty and transformation are associated with the face. For centuries, humans, as inventors, have continued to advance ourselves, especially our complexions. Whether that be plastic surgery, makeup, tattoos, or transhumanism, “Morbid Pride” explores the longevity of these habits.
The wig, combined with the skeleton’s flirtatious pose, creates a sense of sadistic humour and irony that shows our nature to be glamorous even on our deathbeds. As the dead lie in coffins, faces adorned with makeup, they are still trying to hide their mundane imperfections. The ionic columns are symbolic of paparazzi cameras; they show that beauty will forever entice us.
A beauty mark is cleverly concealed on the skull, referencing Marilyn Monroe's classic mole and the mysteries she coaxed. Such icons have dedicated their lifetime to painting a painting that is so void of humanity and so prideful that it is futile to look for a flaw.
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