Undone - Oil on canvas 24” x 24” 2018 Inspired by photographs taken by Getty Photographer John Moore of families separated at the US-Mexico border, this painting depicts the heartbreaking moment when a Honduran mother has to remove her young daughter’s shoelaces before the girl is taken away and incarcerated.
Art is more than simply adornment; the influences and experiences of an artist’s life, and their own perspectives, can profoundly shape their expression bringing thought-provoking messages to the world through creativity. Such is the case with Mulgrave parent, Tammy Seybold. Her daughter, Devon, is also an accomplished artist and created the wonderful piece on the front cover of this magazine. We’re honoured to have Tammy’s thoughts and responses to questions shared here.
Delineation - Binary, ink and gold leaf on wood panel, 12” x 12” 2018
WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU CONNECTED YOUR ART TO A PERSONAL RESPONSE TO A CURRENT EVENT? While I have drawn and painted my whole life, it wasn’t until I was living in Hong Kong and witnessing the pro-democracy, or Umbrella Movement, protests there that I felt a pressing need to document the changes I was witnessing. Having been born in Berkeley, and educated there as well, I have long believed in the importance of free speech and peaceful dissent in ethical governance. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, one had to recognise that this was a highly significant nodal point in Hong Kong’s history, and one that should be documented. For me, the most personal way to record this historic time was through my art. I committed to creating a piece of artwork for each day the protesters occupied the streets in that autumn of 2014. HOW DID THE PROCESS OF CREATING THE ART MAKE YOU FEEL OR HELP YOU PROCESS EMOTION? For all of my ‘political’ or protest pieces, the impetus to create them actually grew out of feelings of my own helplessness or impotence. Whether it be the paintings I created after the killing of black civilians by the police, when witnessing refugee families torn apart, or after the horror of a mass shooting, I find creating art sometimes is the
only thing I can do to combat feelings of despair and frustration. For me, taking any kind of action, even if it might seem small in scale compared to the monstrosity of the event, feels cathartic.
