There Was a Time When Love Was Blind
12 x 9, Assemblage on Canvas, SOLD
I was inspired to create this piece after viewing a YouTube video of Susan Boyle auditioning for
"Britain's Got Talent." I watched the judges and audience scoff at her somewhat unkempt and frumpy appearance, then was overcome by emotion (literally sobbed and sprouted full body goosebumps) as she began singing in her magnificent, angelic voice. Suddenly the same audience that had jeered her was now cheering and applauding her.
I used folded canvas and muslin to represent her unadorned "exterior," or physical appearance. As we move inward, I used ribbon, lace, and gold pieces to symbolize her inner beauty and value. At the center is Scottish heather (a nod to her homeland), a beautiful blue sky, light fluffy clouds, and sunshine. The gold-lined musical notes are those that accompany the words in her audition song, "I Dreamed a Dream." The Madonna at the top is Our Lady of Lourdes, the name of the Catholic church that Susan has attended all of her life.
The title is a line from the song she sang, and refers to the fact that the audience's love of her inner beauty allowed them to turn a blind eye to her outer appearance. This was the first of the portals that included fabric and hand stitchery.