MIDLIFE MERMAIDS
In my Midlife Mermaids series, I examine issues of female identity, gender, body image, body politic, sexuality, and aging.
The faces and upper bodies of each mermaid consist of self-portraits expressing a variety of emotional and psychological states,
including confrontation and contemplation. Within the shapes of the lower torsos and tails, I paint images of the mysteries, wonders,
and wreckage of the sea: coral reefs, sea plants and flowers. These forms also reference both HIV and cancer cells and
female sexual and reproductive organs, and the ruins of sunken ships. Opposites of vulnerability/power, beauty/ugliness, growth/decomposition, life/death and fact/fiction are contained and expressed in these works.