Art by Trinity Sutterfield: ArtWorks Cincinnati

Monday, April 8, 2013

ArtWorks Cincinnati

Last week, we visited ArtWorks. Their website describes them as such "ArtWorks is a non-profit arts organization that empowers and inspires the creative community to transform our everyday environments through employment, apprenticeships, education, community partnerships, and civic engagement".

ArtWorks is a truly wonderful organization and I have gotten the wonderful opportunity to paint a mural with them. However, I was mildly disappointed in this field trip. I didn't feel like I gained any knowledge about ArtWorks that I didn't already know plus I was utterly humiliated when Tamara Harkavy, founder and artistic director of ArtWorks asked me to tell everyone about my experience and struggles involved in the Helentown mural project with which I was associated with. I have social anxiety and she put me on the spot, which nearly sent me into a panic attack and I completely froze up and couldn't think about anything but every one's eyes on me. Then the field trip ran over and we nearly got a ticket because our meter ran over. I would like to go back and actually get to tour the facilities and actually get to learn more about the business besides that which you can find on their website.

The Helentown Mural that I helped paint!

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Trinity Sutterfield

Feminist Activist Artist from Cincinnati. I currently live in the bustling metropolis of Hebron Kentucky, but spend most of my time at The University of Cincinnati- DAAP (Design, Architecture, Art and Planning).

For many years now I have been interested in the societal beauty demands that women are faced with. My artwork takes a critical view of social and cultural issues. In my work, I explore themes like body positivity and feminism, feminism and the effects of societal beauty standards on women through many mediums including drawing, painting, photography and digital editing/painting. My work is influenced by artists as diverse as Ewan Uglow, Jenny Saville, Sandro Botticelli and William Bouguereau. I am also influenced by many writers, including blogs such as Adipositivity and Dances with Fat. Daily, women are faced with thousands of images and articles telling them that are not good enough, simply because they are not small enough. I do not believe this is true. My work celebrates the plus size body, often showing the attributes that society deems ugly or undesirable as the ideal. I aim to cause social change. It is for this reason that I call myself a feminist activist artist. As a whole my work is typically positive, celebrating the body and teaching my audience to love theirs; however it also tends to demonize society’s thin obsession. I have been focusing on this theme for nearly four years and I still hold the same fervor and passion for it that I did when I first started working with it; however my concept has matured beyond just showing that big women are beautiful to showing that all bodies are beautiful no matter their size. I tend focus on bigger women because there is more of an element of rebellion there in portraying beauty in a figure that society deems ugly or undesirable, rather than in portraying a figure that is slightly more socially acceptable because it is smaller. With my work, I aim to show the world that all bodies are beautiful not only in spite of their size but also because of their size.