hush shirley
Hush Shirley is an intimate exploration of secrecy, shame, and the somatic retention of trauma. Yes, I had to hit up Merriam for some of that verbiage, but I think it was worthwhile.
This piece is meant to represent the vulnerabilities of a woman's body and mind, both of which are relatively stripped bare. Her core is exposed by the pronounced visibility of her spine, even as an abundance of flesh hides her. This portrayal of 'hiding in plain sight' is one that, in my opinion, is obvious, but there are many who have never experienced the kind of trauma that creates such conditions. I want this painting to provide clarity.
I chose the colors and the medium purposefully to support the figure's revealed nature. I used acrylics because I wanted her to appear more plastic than natural. I chose the Triage Color system of the medical industry because of the particular 'health' definitions assigned to colors: red is urgent and severe; yellow is not an immediate danger but must be observed; green is minor (almost healthy); and white is negligible. The background of the painting is very dark and severely contrasts the figure's palette, intended to evoke the vacuity of despair. The combined colors gave me an overall palette that I deem 'a tad sick'. This, despite the beauty of each of those colors when seen independent of the composition as presented. As a side note, I don't necessarily agree with the 'triage code'. It just seemed reasonable to choose colors representing a health system.
Did the poem come first or the painting? I honestly don't remember. Honestly, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the mantra of the poem, "bury the secret deep / flesh will not tell," serves as testament to the crushing weight of keeping secrets, the physical toll of trauma, and the desperate, internal struggle to keep what is broken safely hidden from the world — a profound isolation of a voice forced into hiding.
Trauma does that.
Been there. Done that. Got a T-Shirt.
hush Shirley
hush shirley / don’t tell anyone / don’t you dare
hush shirley / don’t tell anyone / don’t you dare
bury the secret deep shirley / flesh will never tell
quiet shirley quiet / don’t cry / don’t cry / don/t cry
you mustn’t tell a soul shirley
you know why?
no one can ever know shirley
…
ever ever? / never never
hush shirley
never
hush shirl
Original Work: acrylic on 24×30 canvas