Art of emotions ---- Karen Ryan

It is interesting that art is very often used as a tool to express hurtful or gloomy emotions. I think it's just natural because people are always somehow hiding the negative part of themselves, only wearing the happy, content, joyful mask to fool others. (Of course, not all the time and I'm not saying it's necessarily better that everybody just shows their bare depressing face instead). But for some highly emotional people, especially artists, it is a pain not able to express their true emotions. Emotions are a large part of who they are, and the desire for soulful communication is one of their prior needs.

Then I found Karen Ryan: an artist who can fit into that category. This work is called 'body', installation locally in Portsmouth. The body, actually a skeleton of a body, formed by loosely connected old chair pieces, piling together and somewhat supporting each other, is so vulnerable with its retreating posture. The bare skeleton, without even the protection of skin, looks so weak, insecure and broken. It's hiding at the foot of a filthy wall on a dark ground, headless, the loneliness is like a creeping net capturing the whole setting and the viewers heart.

Another scene of the same 'body'. If the first one is still trying to communicate with the viewer, or gain some emotional response, this one is not. It gives us a straight ending: giving up on the gray and gloomy way of life. Not necessarily death; more like indulging oneself in the darkness, a passive attitude.

Here is another psychic piece. It's custom made, so the artist didn't give an official artist name to it. It is a piece that's very easily to understand: a smaller one being well protected by the bigger one. The artist wants to show love in a relationship, maybe mostly parental love. It can also be man and women love I think, although it might make people uncomfortable.

She made a lot of these kind of chairs with same concept. You can find all the pictures on her Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bykarenryan/ .

She also made a lot of plate art, but I like them less than the 'body's, just because I normally don't like things that are too representative.