Reality Yoked9 x 12 Derwent Drawing Pencils
copyright Jeanette Jobson
copyright Jeanette Jobson
This is not a pretty picture. Its not meant to be. It is reality - or what was reality many years ago, seen through historical reinactments. This is however a real person.
I finished this drawing/sketch today and posted it and am interested in some comments that were made about it that show how people's perception of the world is slewed.
People want attractiveness around them. They fear becoming old and they fear seeing a side of life that they may see a part of themselves in. I think a lot of this perception is in North America and how the press bombards the public with messages of how life will be better only if you have the right lifestyle, have money, are youthful, are a certain height or weight, dye your hair, wear the right clothes, etc., etc.
The thing is, that people buy into this crap like its a religion. Then when confronted with reality, they either turn away or refuse to believe it, preferring the sanitized version of life. I personally like reality, even the harshness of it at times. I refuse to fall into the trap of advertisers and corporations trying to sell their products and brainwash me into believing that it will change my life and make me happy.
There are people out there who have no money, no jobs, no houses. There are people out there with wrinkles and grey hair. People are overweight, have illnesses, dental problems, money problems and no education.
There are no easy solutions to any of the problems and these problems have been around since time began in one form or another. But don't pretend they don't exist and don't pretend that you're any better than others in the world or that anyone else believes you're younger than you are. You can wear the lambskin and live in the house, but you'll still be mutton.
6 comments:
I think you have posted true reality and your excellent sketch conveys the distress and burdon of reality.
Thank you Mary. Some images do deal with the harshness of life that people choose to ignore.
Great picture,very different and interesting.....great post as well.
i enjoy seeing un-pretty things depicted in art. even disturbing things. Bravo to you, Jeanette for delving into this realm.
Very expressive drawing. I really like the large range of colors you have achieved. Old and worn can be beautiful also. Van Gogh's drawings and paintings of miners and Albrecht Drurer's drawing of his elderly mother come to mind.
Well said Jeanetter - and nice drawing. This spoke more to me than the 'pretty' pictures we see so often as portraitures.
What gets me about all the 'hype' and strategies for looking good is that they are asking us to buy into duplicity rather than honesty about who we are and what we look like. I've no problem with us making the best of what we've got (in the way people have always done) but like you I don't like what some of the 'body image' stuff does to people's perceptions of what is "normal".
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