Lynda Wingrove

The most important thing for me about making art is not the end product, but rather what I can learn about myself in the process of making it. Prostitute: Rage! is the sixth in a series based on my personal archetypes. I have been working on this piece for over two years, not because it’s a complex artwork, but because of the complex emotions I needed to deal with as I worked with this archetype.

Here’s the story: Very early in life, Prostitute put herself into the Cage of Society’s Rules and Other People’s Expectations. At the time, she thought the only way to survive was to get people to approve of her so they would take care of her. She didn’t trust herself to be able to take care of herself. As she matured, she realized that she had sacrificed her integrity and authenticity in the process. She always thought that, since she had put herself in the Cage, she could leave at any time and enter the Beautiful Garden of Creativity. This piece depicts her dismay upon leaving the Cage and finding herself, instead, on the Dismal Path through the Hellgate and into the Raging Inferno. Cheetah (who symbolizes my Higher Self) knows the only way out is through.

I like to work in this narrative, symbolic style. I appreciate the “fairy tale” quality in my work for it is indeed depicting a personal mythology. I love the intimacy of stitching by hand on fabrics and the obvious handmade character of the resulting artworks. My journey continues as I look forward to completing pieces for the rest of my archetypes.

Prostitute: Rage! 2022 24” x 24” Mixed Media Textile NFS lynda.wingrove@gmail.com