ALYSSA MONKS
Where Longing Meets Limits
Cover: Where Longing Meets Limits, 2023
oil on linen
70 x 96 in
Cover: Where Longing Meets Limits, 2023
oil on linen
70 x 96 in
This new body of work, entitled "Where Longing Meets Limits," confronts the human experience of longing for that which is beyond our reach. The recent loss of my brother weighs heavy as does the desire for things to be different than they are. Unbridled human vulnerability arises from the helpless awareness of being unable to control so much of what we try to. Not limited to mortality, this permeates almost everything human beings pursue. Flowers, branches, water droplets, and vapor - painted carefully in harmonizing color - speak to the ideals of femininity and beauty that distort and overwhelm the portraits, creating an illusive expression that is impossible to see fully and interpret. We are left knitting bits of delicate illusionistic form together to catch a glimpse of these women, ensconced in their distancing efforts to control what you see, but also begging to be seen. We are in an endless loop, and only find ourselves in the end, also trying to make sense of a senseless experience, realizing that it is ultimately a futile pursuit. My aim is to inspire viewers to let go before they must let go, in order to fully experience the surprisingly beautiful unpredictability of life.
Maybe if I Try Harder, 2023
54 x 54 in
oil on linenCritical Mass, 2023
oil on linen
54 x 54 in
Where Longing Meets Limits 2023
oil on linen
70 x 96 in