Eileen Downes

The 36-C Tree
collage
36 x 32 in.

As a self-described “Layerist,” I allow my life experiences to infuse my artwork with layers of significance. My artwork, as well as my creative process embodies a perspective of interconnectedness in vision, thought, and communication. The collage / mixed media art piece, The 36-C Tree, is a metaphorical statement that embraces a multifaceted concept of our society’s ideal of femininity. The colorful landscape background, composed of torn magazine images that of themselves have meaning, is juxtaposed with a large black and white tree symbolizing the strength of womanhood. The tree supports a dangling bra signifying our societal feminine ideal.

Upon close observation two photographs of the actual art piece in progress are strategically placed to suggest the notion that women are “dual visionaries” in that we can look forward and backward simultaneously. It is the process of creating visually pleasing or intellectually stimulating artwork that is most personally fulfilling for me as an artist; likewise it is the process of experiencing a creative life as a woman, wife, mother, and daughter that is the most fulfilling for me in spirit.

© Eileen Downes