(II.) Foreign
‘Force of Nature’ is a four-part series;’ the second piece is called Foreign.
Reflecting on my experience being an immigrant in America, I feel like the word ‘foreign’ best sums it up.
To me, ‘foreign’ was always a label that carried a smidge of negative connotation. By its nature, ‘foreigner’ as a just descriptor. Yet, it insinuates something further than just that you’re an ‘other than.’ Maybe to those born here on US soil, ‘foreign’ might make you think of a vacation or a trip abroad, something exotic, new, exciting, or strange (in a fun way). But to me, foreign just means my existence comes with a lot more paperwork and red tape.
Moreover, I think it doesn’t help that I associate ‘foreign’ also with the idea of ‘foreign objects’ in the medical sense. As in: objects in the body that shouldn’t belong there. Something to be removed or excised. This notion was the basis for the pose of the figure in this month’s print – the second installment in the Force of Nature series: Foreign. While illustrating this piece I was imagining the figure as trying to claw something burried deep within the skin. Here, we see a repeat motif of the abstract flame-like elements from the first print of the series but instead of a shooting trail through the figure’s skull, the flames emanate from the body itself.
To me, ‘foreign’ was always a label that carried a smidge of negative connotation. By its nature, ‘foreigner’ as a just descriptor. Yet, it insinuates something further than just that you’re an ‘other than.’ Maybe to those born here on US soil, ‘foreign’ might make you think of a vacation or a trip abroad, something exotic, new, exciting, or strange (in a fun way). But to me, foreign just means my existence comes with a lot more paperwork and red tape.
Moreover, I think it doesn’t help that I associate ‘foreign’ also with the idea of ‘foreign objects’ in the medical sense. As in: objects in the body that shouldn’t belong there. Something to be removed or excised. This notion was the basis for the pose of the figure in this month’s print – the second installment in the Force of Nature series: Foreign. While illustrating this piece I was imagining the figure as trying to claw something burried deep within the skin. Here, we see a repeat motif of the abstract flame-like elements from the first print of the series but instead of a shooting trail through the figure’s skull, the flames emanate from the body itself.
