Mary Porterfield
The Remaining (2019)
oil on layered glassine
34 x 34 in.
My drawings are influenced by my work as an occupational therapist and my interactions with patients and their caregivers. In painting on transparent, glassine paper, I progressively layer my images to address recurring struggles in healthcare that are outwardly hidden or forgotten. With my grandmother as my model, I hope to convey the loss of identity that can occur as degenerative illnesses affect one’s ability to complete self-care or functional movement. The underlying layers represent the obscured sense of self that attempts to overcome those difficulties.
© Mary Porterfield