hush shirley

The Weight of Whispers

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 nor is it important. 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.

Original Work: acrylic on 24×30 canvas

hush Shirley

hush shirley / don’t tell anyone / don’t you ever dare

hush shirley / don’t tell anyone / always beware

bury the secret deep shirley / flesh will never tell

keep it to yourself shirley / quiet

do not yell

bury the secret deep shirley

don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry

flesh will never tell shirley

don’t die don’t die don’t die

no one can ever know shirley

… … …

ever ever?

never never / never ever

hush shirley