Make a Wish
A reflection on the fragile balance between celebration, societal expectations, and aging anxiety
This painting explores the tension between youth and societal pressure for perfection, symbolized through precarious balance and birthday cakes.
Make a Wish portrays a young woman perched precariously atop a stack of rocks, her balance mirroring the delicate tension between youthful celebration and the pressure to maintain perfection. Wearing a party hat and holding birthday cakes, she embodies both the joy of milestones and the anxiety of aging in a world that often values appearance over authenticity.
The inspiration for this piece comes from the subject’s experience in the cosmetic surgery industry, where she navigates a culture obsessed with defying time. The birthday cakes serve as symbols of celebration and inevitability, highlighting her growing awareness of aging as both a natural and inevitable process.
This painting invites viewers to consider their own relationship with societal expectations, aging, and the balance between celebrating life and resisting external pressures.
Oil and mixed media on canvas
40″ x 24″
Windows Within: Universal Narratives in Fractured Realism
This body of work by Deborah Scott explores the profound connections between personal stories and shared human experiences. Through a series of conversations and interviews with individuals from diverse backgrounds, Scott uncovers intimate narratives of struggle, resilience, and triumph. These seemingly unique moments are transformed into powerful works of art, revealing their universality and the interconnectedness of all human experiences.
Each painting in Windows Within serves as both a reflection and a revelation, embodying Scott’s belief that art is a mirror to the complexities of identity and existence. Her work draws on the psychological framework of Johari’s Window, exploring the interplay between the visible and hidden aspects of the self. By blending classical techniques with intentional disruptions—rips, tears, and abstract shapes—Scott creates a dynamic visual language that captures the fragmented, evolving nature of contemporary life.
Windows Within is an emotional and visual journey, inviting viewers to see themselves in the stories of others and to consider the profound universality of human connection.