Josie Livovich

I began the year with ambitions of political, divisive work that addresses current events. Eventually I came to realize that my own mind is enough of a current event to lay down on canvas and paper. Most notably, my work analyzes and portrays my mental state and emotion through the last year. Unfortunately, there’s been quite a bit of turmoil to work through from the last year. Ranging from my experience of mental illness to the discovery of new friends and sensations that characterize adolescence, my work is raw and self-reflective. 

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My self-portrait series are labeled by date of creation, and exhibited chronologically for the benefit of the viewer. Through them, one can see my evolution through the last year. With an emphasis on emotional imagery and facial expressions, each portrait is a picture of my inner condition upon the date of creation. Using intense colors, the first few portraits are furious and busy. By manipulating body language and color, the portraits progress as I have healed and moved on from certain traumas and phases of my life. Other than my self-portrait series, I have several pieces that simply address the essence of certain experiences. These experiences include manual labor, walking in the summer heat, and the awakening of the senses that occurs at the onset of adulthood. 

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By choosing bold strokes and colors over neutrality, I hope to wave uncertainty from the viewer’s mind.  My self portraits are unflattering looks into my brain, but they are supposed to create a bond of understanding between the audience and the artist. The viewer should observe a calming of the storm as they progress through reflective portraits of fury to complacent pieces of peace. In the viewing of my exhibit, I hope the audience may feel closer to me, and absorb the level of self-reflection which led to the collection of works before them.