Bottled Up

Lily Callender

ARTIST STATEMENT

Inspired by the phrase “bottling up your emotions”, I have used my art to capture the feeling of being trapped by one’s own emotions. The idea of having a girl physically bottled up was an interesting concept that came to me when I heard the phrase being used by a friend. This piece is the first in a series, in which the glass bottle gradually fills with water and eventually shatters.  In each piece the girl remains stoic and unglamorous, with the focus always on the bottle in an attempt to emphasize that even as she suffocates in her suppressed thoughts, the calm facade will remain. I started this project  spontaneously in art class after frustrating results with my other work. In a search for something new I tried out a combination of charcoal and white pastel, which turned out to be a fun and effective way to create my art. Exploring this metaphor gave me a unique challenge and an opportunity to consider what kind of message I want to put into the world. ​