“Unproductive” (II)

This artwork will be represented by Young Soy Gallery from September 2024; queries may be directed directly to them [update - SOLD]

This is a self-portrait.

The title is a wink, because we live in a world where all leisure is often commodified, and everything is an activity in prescribed blocks of time. Time seems to be removed from life, and is often not our own. 

Besides, women are often not considered “productive” unless they’re very obviously working in commonly understood ways, or having children. When I stepped beyond a corporate work life, I used to feel a weird sense of guilt daring to rest, doing things for non-commercial reasons, or simply existing. The guilt didn’t come out of the thin blue; it’s conditioning and social disapprobation at work. I am still made to experience it at times, because many people simply do not take art makers or writers seriously unless someone becomes “famous,” but I’ve learned that the trick is to carry on…

…and…turn things into art. 🙂

10 (h) x 20 (w) inches x 1.5 (d), oil paint on stretched canvas