//Elise Whitehorn

Elise Whitehorn

The art I’ve been making for the past six years has always taken a not-so-subtle approach to conveying human nature, strong emotions, and the conscious choices we as humans may have to face over the duration of our lifetime. 

I always seem to find myself drawn to nature, women, and how the two may (or may not) interact with each other, as well as how the trials of the world may impact and shape them. 

The contrast between what could be viewed as soft and feminine to most people and the jarring harshness upon closer inspection has always been important to me. I implement it into my work without a second thought and believe that the symbolism can speak volumes while still leaving the interpretation of the piece up to the viewer. Wires, disembodied limbs, and women and animals distorted are a few examples of the imagery that, by some, could be viewed as the subjects being wounded or reacting negatively, but by others it could be seen as strength and adapting to their environment and hardships. 

The project I’ve been working on and have been most proud of revolves around people’s personal experiences with mental health. Agoraphobia, general anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder, and PTSD are just a few examples of the ones I’ve focused on so far.My hope is to try and use my art as a way of reevaluating how we view the strong emotions that are capable of engulfing us as we go through life.