DO NOT DISTURB

Emma Stanton
2022

 
Do Not Disturb 
November 29 - December 6, 2022
Opening reception: November 30, 3:30 - 5:30

 
Artist Statement:
 
My paintings touch on issues relating to gender, privacy, and bodily autonomy. I’m interested in surveillance and how different cameras, including the ones found in our back pockets, intrude on our daily lives in the 21st century. Since this technology is so accessible, it invades every space, even in the most private of spaces like a bathroom. My goal is to create a constant sense of voyeurism and an invasion of privacy in painting. I have had many experiences of this invasion of privacy, usually unbeknownst to me; but I exaggerate this in my work to invoke feelings of discomfort. I am also interested in the notions of the #MeToo movement, and contribute to this by painting both sides of the experience to validate the victim that is so often invalidated.
 
This series is a personal catharsis of trauma.  In it I’m reflecting and healing from unwanted experiences. This work has become a self-portrait of my past self and my path to healing — I’m interested in juxtaposing perspectives. Some are direct self-portraits through the frame of a phone, while others are more reflective on my memories in my own perspective.  When I am recreating my memories, I don’t always see the face of a person in that memory, but rather a black silhouette where the person would be. Throughout the time I’ve spent working on these paintings I have been able to heal and contribute my story to the #MeToo movement.
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Biography:
 
Emma Stanton was born and raised in upstate New York. With the support of a substantial scholarship, she has pursued her passions in art at the University at Buffalo, focusing on painting and fine art.  Emma draws inspiration from her life experiences, and paints as a way to heal from traumatic experiences.  This has presently manifested into Do Not Disturb: a collection of my baggage where trauma from non-consensual experiences has created growth and healing.