Macabre Beauty
Rhiannon Fudge
Inspired by classical depictions of Mother Mary, Be Gentle With Me is an introspection on feeling too deeply. A delicate, fragile songbird lies dead in front of the chest of the figure, over the heart. Thorns wrap around her body, either protecting or entrapping. They seem to be growing, reaching. She places delicate hands on the wings of the bird, barely touching it. Her body is draped in a thin, transparent veil, her face sorrowful yet resolved. The background is ambiguous. She is placed in an unknown realm, with only a vague archway of warm light that distinguishes it. The bird is vulnerable, representing the vulnerability of the character who protects it. The title of the piece asks the viewer to be careful not to hurt either delicate creature, exposed to the elements
Reflection is inspired by old Hollywood horror tropes, specifically Alfred Hitchcock’s films. Here we see a woman sitting at her vanity in shock at the wasps emerging from her mouth. Her hands are placed delicately on her face, frozen in horror and uncertainty. She watches helplessly, unable to speak or scream.
On the other side of the reflection, however, the wasps don’t appear to be there, leading to the question of whether this is some kind of nightmare or hallucination.
Forget Me Not, oil on canvas, 2025
Forget Me Not is a study in decomposition, as well as a piece about the fleeting existence of a creature deemed insignificant by many. In this diptych, a crow is depicted both freshly dead and partially decomposed. Surrounding it are branches of forget-me-nots in the shape of a wreath. The small creature becomes memorialized, attaching a sentimentality to its death that would otherwise be overlooked as roadkill. One can imagine what the next image might be as the flowers wilt into nothing and the creature becomes bones sinking into the earth. In painting this bird, it’s memory will live on, even after it becomes dust.
Other works
