“Fudged Up Fairy Tales”
Note: These are not outward expressions of inner turmoil, but rather observations of the “fudged up” world around me.
Some images may be triggering. Here is your warning.
This portfolio (including the following six pieces: “Rapunzel” “Little Red Riding Hood” “Cinderella” “Sleeping Beauty” “Pinocchio” and “The Little Mermaid”) won a Portfolio Gold Key in Indiana’s 2024 Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, and was displayed fully* via slideshow at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art
(*the piece “Rapunzel” was physically displayed due to its individual Honorable Mention recognition)
Artist’s Statement
Art is the highest form of communication, followed quickly by writing, with verbal interactions in third. Art transcends language barriers and makes people experience indescribable emotions with only a glance, while the other two have far more trouble with translations. Most often my art communicates how much I care, as I tend to create gifts for loved ones, and about things on my mind. When I am making art I am either attempting to understand or to appreciate something more than I already do. For this portfolio, I chose to display social issues with cardboard book dioramas, and generalized them by not giving the figurines within distinguishable genders and maintaining a consistently brown color palette. Approaching such sensitive conversation subjects in an accessible manner is beyond difficult. My attempt consists of combining fantasy with reality, in often shocking manners. For the Rapunzel book specifically, it is the sudden horror of a self-hanged figure, and a teen at that, that meets the viewer when the book is opened. The book format allows the reader time to expect joy, only to be met with sad truths. It brings up how horrible the thing may be to have happened to a beloved fairy tale character, and yet how it also happens to hundreds, if not thousands of real people worldwide each year. I tried to address some of the more common issues, including: suicide, child trafficking, misused and illegal drugs, car crashes, political distrust, and social-media-induced body dysmorphia. With each connected to a fairy tale, and the spines labeled accordingly, viewers are left to "read" about the horrible fates of each character within. On the back of three of the books I explored a manner of sharing statistics with the viewers, but on the latter three I left such exploration up to individual research. These books are less-so to grieve losses, and more-so to get conversations going. If these conversations lead to rethinking the horrors in society as the opposite of fantastical, raising awareness of their prevalency all around us, then my art will have fulfilled its purpose. We need to open our eyes to the world- art is just a guide to help us know what to look for.
“Rapunzel”
Summary: “Shocking display of teen suicide via cardboard diorama.”
Materials: Cardboard, Yarn, XActo Knife, Hot Glue, Scissors
Height: 12” Width: 8” Depth: 3”
“Rapunzel” won an Honorable Mention in Indiana’s 2024 Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, and was displayed at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Summary: “Freeze-frame of the horror of child trafficking via cardboard diorama.”
Materials: Cardboard, Hot Glue, Scissors, XActo Knife, Red Paper
Height: 11” Width: 7” Depth: 4”
“Little Red
Riding Hood”
“Cinderella”
Summary: “Interpretation of the dangers of distracted driving via cardboard diorama.”
Materials: Carboard, Hot Glue, Pumpkin, Brown Paper, XActo Knife
Height: 13” Width: 8” Depth: 5”
“Sleeping Beauty”
Summary: “Dramatization of rampant drugs both misused and illegal via cardboard diorama.”
Materials: Cardboard, Hot Glue, Scissors, XActo Knife, String, Sewing Needle
Height: 8” Width: 6” Depth: 3”
“Pinocchio”
Summary: “Satirical representation of political distrust via cardboard diorama.”
Materials: Cardboard, Hot Glue, Scissors, XActo Knife
Height: 10” Width: 7” Depth: 3”
“The Little Mermaid”
Summary: “Visualization of social-media-induced body dysmorphia via cardboard diorama.”
Materials: Cardboard, Plastic Sheet, Hot Glue, Scissors, XActo Knife
Height: 11” Width: 7” Depth: 4”
The “Big Book”
Summary: The “World” that holds these disasters.
Materials: Cardboard, Hot Glue, Scissors, XActo Knife
Height: 32” Width: 20” Depth: 10”
Extras:
I made a few things that did not end up in my completed portfolio, here they are.
The notable ones are The Beanstalk which I just didn’t connect to the theme for the Fairy Tales, and Mumfry’s Muffin Van that was inspired by a Dr. Seuss vehicle I like the look of.
