Friday, January 2, 2015

New Work: The Yellow Wallpaper





The Yellow Wallpaper
9.5  x 15  inches
ingredients:  vintage book cover, found objects, cut-outs, lace, vintage ephemera, decorative papers, vintage photograph, feather, pen nib



This piece is based on an 1892 short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, an important piece of early feminist literature. In the story, the protagonist is confined to an upstairs bedroom for a "rest cure" for what would now probably be diagnosed as post-partum depression.  She is forbidden to work (she's a writer), and begins to obsess about the yellow wallpaper and what might be lurking behind it, eventually tearing it off the walls. According to Wikipedia, "The story depicts the effect of confinement on the narrator's mental health and her descent into psychosis."

 I've always been fascinated by the story, and in fact, wrote a paper on it in college, wherein I compared the theme of madness in The Yellow Wallpaper to it's use in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.  Gilman's story is a bit creepy, yes, but so well-written, and really gives us a shocking and sad view of how such illnesses were treated back then.


 Some details:


















 Hope you like it!


20 comments:

  1. This is utterly beautiful! And the story behind it so sad and touching.

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    1. Janet, I'm so glad you like it. It is a sad story, but unfortunately was the common "treatment" of the day.

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  2. Beautiful art and interesting story. Happy New Year to you!!

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  3. OH! You know how much I love this story - and this work is amazing! Is it for sale by any chance?

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  4. Thanks for the very kind words, Deb! Yes, it is for sale, if you want to contact me by email (in my sidebar) we can discuss it. xo

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  5. The work is so different once the back story is known. Fascinating...

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    1. Thanks, Valerianna - it is a fascinating story, and well worth reading.

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  6. I love it. I know that story well, read it many years ago and recalled it like it was yesterday reading this post. xoxo

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    1. Thanks, Annie; it's a story that affected me deeply, one that I've never forgotten...

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  7. This brought back some memories! I still remember how eerie it was reading that story for the first time many years ago. Your collage inspired by it is very evocative...

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  8. Thank you... It's one of those stories that tends to stick with you, I think...

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  9. Oh, such a wonderful creation and story!
    Loved it, Sharmon xx

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  10. A good collage and wonderful story... and happy new year to you!

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    1. Thank you so much, Donna! wishing you a happy and creative new year as well!

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