View Gridby: Ashley A P.
12th Grade, Half Hollow Hills High School West, Dix Hills, New York
Teacher: Amanda Montiglio & Jennifer Levolo
"People are like books; we are unfortunately judged on the outside, but we all have a story to tell."
quote by: Michelle D., 8th Grade, Grace M. Breckwedel Middle School, Jamesburg, New Jersey
Teacher: Mrs. Rafalko
My artwork is a criticism of society's tendency to judge people based on appearance. To initiate this project, I asked people around me "if you could express yourself through a painting, what would it look like?" I created their portraits based on their responses and then I designed doors that allowed viewers to open the panel of each portrait to reveal the true self of each person. The portraits focused on viewable features, while the inside reflects the person's dreams, thoughts, and personality. The biggest panel has an unfinished painting of a frame, and viewers will find a mirror inside. The last confrontation of the viewers is with themselves as I want them to reflect and recognize that no one perfectly fits a stereotype and deserves an unjust judgment made of them because of their eyes, number of wrinkles, how curly their hair is, or which shade of foundation they use.