Lily Wellons
Throughout the time I have studied art, I have always found myself drawn to representing the inner mind through the outer world. Working in abstract sketch, digital art, and photography I have this desire to communicate from the inside out. For this specific series, titled “War in Life, Peace in Death,” my purpose was to explore opposition between external and internal environments. These photos represent how uncomfortable inner darkness can make an environment of light feel. Anyone who has struggled with mental illness can relate, that sometimes being surrounded by happiness makes the weight feel heavier.
In the top half of the series, I styled the model in black and posed her closed off, blocking the sun. I wanted to explore how darkness of the mind overpowers whatever may be around you. Placing her in a sunlit field of yellow flowers I wanted to further expose how uncomfortable darkness feels in an outwardly bright environment. On the flip side, styling her in white to represent openness to the environment, I wanted to show how much more accepting darkness is to more darkness. The representational groundedness of the tree combined with the dark shadows surrounding the subject creates an eerie safety, allowing her to open herself to the world and let it take her.
