making space
university of pittsburgh
studio arts senior exhibition
november 2020
Nicole
Bonomo
As an artist, I predominantly draw inspiration from personal experiences and things I have dealt with throughout my life. Some people might not understand my artwork, but exposure is not always the most important aspect of my practice. Since I was a child, creating has always been an essential part of my daily routine. Many things I create are for my own enjoyment and as a method to express my emotions, so I often feel lost when I’m unable to create for a long period of time.
Although I usually make art for myself, I feel accomplished whenever others understand and relate to the experiences I illustrate in my work. A common theme I feature in my art is mental health issues, mainly anxiety and depression, since I tend to struggle with those the most. I know these are common, especially among people my age, so I’m glad that this is something I can make art about. In addition, I also struggle with physical health issues, but this is a newer aspect of my life that I hope to explore with my art in the future. The Inner and Outer Demons illustrates feelings of anxiety and how it takes over one’s mind. The canvases, which come together to form a larger fragmented canvas, represent how anxiety affects the brain and stops individuals from thinking rationally. The image continues onto the edges of each canvas because I want viewers to be able to experience the painting from all angles. It also relates to the fact that anxiety always stays with a person, no matter how they try to look at things. I hope that the crowded canvases and striking pinks help convey this uneasiness, as well. This painting is very personal to me, but I know that others will be able to understand it if they also struggle with anxiety. In order to make it personal, I consciously chose the color pink as a main color, since it is one of my favorite colors, especially in artwork.
