Fortitude

On June 24, 2022 The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a consequential decision effectively gutting the nearly 50 year landmark ruling that made access to abortion a constitutional right. This painting is part of my ‘Punk” Series; a portrayal of a woman taking a stand supporting the Bans Off Our Bodies Movement. The right to decide whether and when to become a parent is life altering. Our reproductive rights should never be determined by politicians. As we are stripped of basic rights she displays the strength of showing up to show our dissent. A multi media acrylic painting integrating sketches and shred collage elements of printed tissue paper is applied and painted into the abstract background. Bees figure prominently.Throughout history bees have symbolized and been associated with qualities of dedication, fertility and life, hard work and resilience. A queen bee can symbolize feminine energy , growth and motherhood. Here we see an average woman representing fortitude and femininity intentionally dressed in a collage and paint version of luxury vintage couture pieces diverging from her punk rock flair shining through along with her badass attitude, her stance, her hair, her piercings which are all subtle indicators of her resilience as she unabashedly stands up in dissent, she is acting on her beliefs. She is a beacon of light in a dark time.