Holding Back Birds by Sasha Jones

Title:	Holding Back Birds
Date Created:	September 2015
Copyright:	© Sasha R. Jones
Genre:	Fantasy
Mediums:	Photoshop, Corel Painter
Views:	515
Posted:	12/7/2019

Projects: Liminal Forms: Throughout art history, the human form has been an embodiment of beauty and expression. But our society’s modern relationship to trans and non-binary bodies is always focused on either fetishizing or reviling them, dismissing us as somehow gross or unnatural. I seek to create artwork which breaks down those stigmas and makes these experiences more immediate to people. Each painting in the series focuses on an experience which many people may be able to relate to, such as the suffocating nature of anxiety or the euphoria of being at peace with oneself. When viewed through the lens of a trans context, however, these experiences become magnified in their intensity. Ultimately, these are all human experiences while the context and pushback that comes from being trans may be unique, to view our lives and experiences as something alien would be a disservice to our essential humanity. Through these windows into ourselves and others, I hope to create empathy through our struggles, our triumphs, and our beauty. The included paintings 'Windswept' and 'Roseheart' are examples of paintings from this series. Ether: ‘Ether’ is a simple title to encompass a very broad series of work. These are all traditional pieces, either in oils or mixed media, which are largely arrived at more subconsciously than deliberately. In contrast to the involved process of creating my larger illustrations, the paintings in Ether are deliberately freeform and experimental. The focus is on staying connected with a sense of wonder and being present with the love of the craft, in the face of all the pressures which go into doing art as a full-time career. While my more involved paintings are usually arrived at by having the concept first and the designing the piece to best convey the meaning, these pieces are approached the other way around. Most of these pieces start off as abstract, often just paintings where I was simply pursuing a mood or atmosphere rather than a specific subject. Eventually, though, these meanderings manifest into something more tangible, and often become some of my favorite works. The included paintings 'Aqueous', 'Halcyon' and 'Heartplace' are examples of pieces in this series.

Location: United States

Trying to hold back one’s own inner nature is like holding back a flock of birds; no matter how determined you are, things are going to keep slipping through. What would you be capable of, if you could free yourself of the task? If you weren’t spending all your energy on not being yourself?