Tracy Saracino

printing over Society’S StandardS -- traCy saraCino on LiLLy WeiLacher

Human beings all have battles with personal fears and daunting subjects, and the ways in which we dismantle them can be very different. For artist Lilly Weilacher, it is fear that drives her need to understand and control. Her diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder causes intrusive traumatic thoughts to reoccur in her head, and her art acts as a therapeutic escape. Through the repetitive processes of printmaking and sculpture, Weilacher is able to gain immunity and conquer her fears through continuous exposure. The processes of printmaking are calming and empowering to her, and allow her to focus her disorder in a positive perspective. Through the lens of psychoanalytic analysis, Lilly Weilacher uses the theory of desire to manipulate what people consider beautiful and ideal, and how the repetitive processes of creation provide her with a sense of composure.

The concept of desire is propelled by other people around us. We desire to be desired, and the recognition of others is critical to this human response. Near the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are the psychological needs of love, friends, romance and self-esteem. Society decides what is desirable, perfect, and sexy, and once we are no longer these things then we are of no use. There are two divisions of desire, “desire for things and desire for others” (Crockett). Freud was mostly concerned with desire in the context of human sexuality and body image: to be desirable by a partner is essential to confidence and recognition. Desire also applies to survival needs and superficial objects. Weilacher triggers this human response by manipulating undesirable things into beauty to create discomfort and surprise.

Freud’s theory of eros vs. thanatos, sometimes referred to as life and death instincts, is the underlying motive for human desire. Eros is the life instinct, concerned with procreation, survival needs, acceptance and pleasure. These are positive things we desire in order to sustain life and cooperate in society. Thanatos is based on Freud’s principle that “the goal of all life is death,” thus manifesting itself into aggression, risky behaviors and trauma (Sulloway). For Lilly, OCD impulses are more mental than physical, so repetitive intrusive thoughts are thanatos-driven subconsciously. We desire things that bring us pleasure, and avoid the dangerous and unsavory ones. The balance of these instincts is what creates desire and explains human behavior.

Society has created these desirable standards for everything around us, and we make decisions based on attractive characteristics every day. Which vegetable looks the most appealing at the farm, and what happens to the undesirable ones? This concept is something that Lilly Weilacher has experienced firsthand working at a local produce farm, and it resonates with her enough to project into her work. At the farm she grades and sorts the produce, essentially deeming which pieces are ideal enough to be seen by the eyes of shoppers. Anything bruised, misshapen, or discolored, although possibly still edible, gets discarded. This differentiation can be observed in other aspects of life as well, such as the way we see idealized bodies portrayed in the media. These discernments illustrate the harsh judgement in our society, and the way our decisions are based on desire.

When an imperfect piece of fruit is rejected, its life does not end just yet. The cycle of decomposition begins, which is equally appreciated by and interesting to Weilacher. In her prints, she manipulates images of mold and decay into something beautiful. To the unassuming spectator, the blobs and wrinkles are pleasing and even appear celestial. Weilacher enjoys the “power of tricking people” and altering the standards of what is attractive and acceptable. Her prints demonstrate that there is more to the life cycle than the brief span of time when we are ripe and pristine, and makes people question their perspective of what is desirable.

Artwork by Lilly Weilacher

Weilacher works on another series of prints related to animals. Rather than focusing on cute or comforting animals, she is drawn to the “freaks of the animal kingdom.” Possums and skunks are scavengers who lurk around at night and are not welcome visitors, but Weilacher chooses them as her subjects. The prints focus only on their feet rather than any soft fur or glimmering eyes, further emphasizing their undesirable characteristics. Each paw has a unique structure unfamiliar to any common household pets, making them mysterious and unsettling. Weilacher emphasizes the wrinkles of their skin, swirly fingerprints and sharp claws. Relating to the concept of thanatos, our human instincts tell us to avoid these creatures because they are dangerous and undesirable. Ironically, Weilacher chooses to focus on them in her art to question these desirable impulses.

In addition to the content that Lilly chooses to illustrate, the processes of creating prints are also a large part of her personal reflection. The steps of printmaking are a very physical and monotonous system: drawing the plate, dragging the squeegee, pressing the same design over and over again. To most people these steps might seem dull and boring, but for Lilly they are meditative and calming. She says there is “something very grounding” about getting into the zone of production and working systematically. The repetition of printmaking is reminiscent of her intrusive thoughts provoked by OCD, so the processes allow her to focus on the repetition instead of stopping it. Art-making allows her to confront her uncomfortable impulses head on with a positive interpretation instead of their usual thanatos causation. These creation processes mean more to Lilly than the resulting prints—she creates art for her own clarity, not for the spectator. Weilacher was actually pursuing a geo-chemical major before she discovered fine arts and the relief of printmaking. Creating prints has allowed Lilly to alleviate the impulses of her OCD by focusing on repetition from a positive perspective.

All of Lilly’s chosen subject matter—the freak animals, the mold and decay—relate to what people find desirable, which is determined by underlying eros and thanatos impulses. By manipulating this content in her prints, she is able to question societal beauty standards by making viewers feel uncomfortable. Printmaking provides a sense of peace for Weilacher, and the repetitive processes help alleviate the triggers of her mental illness. Lilly uses art to hold society accountable for judgement and desire, and to conquer her fears and impulses.

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