2D Drawing and Painting

In my sustained investigation, I explore connections between mental health and sport—specifically, rhythmic gymnastics, where beauty and flawlessness are key. I focus my investigation on the routine of training, keeping two questions in mind: How integral is being an athlete to one’s identity? Why and at what point can dedication degenerate into obsession and compulsion?

     I begin my exploration by noting gymnastics' impact on my identity. In piece 1, I contrast pencil realism with flat paint to unify the figures and suggest a routine with ambiguity in place and time, while in 2, I use paper cutting to mirror how dedication fostered a fledgling perfectionism. The next images show how these qualities can insidiously erode one’s mental health. In 3, I explore shading more abstractly to show the disconcerting feeling arising from a hyper-fixation on others’ opinions, which themselves are given physical manifestation in 4. In piece 5, I experiment by weaving award ribbons to show the unavoidable pressure to succeed. In 6 and 7, I depict the manifestation of mental issues into physical expressions of obsession, including eating disorders, using jarring colors and a mix of realistic and abstract forms to convey distress and panic. In my final piece, I explore the use of color in defined and blurred forms to translate the harshness and cacophony of fear and indecision with the softness and muted tones of nostalgia, respectively. Through a wide range of materials and techniques, I suggest that both the good and bad qualities absorbed from a sport are deeply intertwined in all aspects of one’s life.