In my BFA Thesis, ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER, I explore my fascination with the female experience. Through abstract as well as figurative paintings, video, and sculpture, I confront my own femininity and the roles that are expected of myself and women in historical and contemporary contexts.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER drips with irony and satire. Taking inspiration from the concepts emerging from the feminist art movement of the 1970’s, this autobiographical exhibition functions as a magnifying glass that sheds light on the tragicomic realities in my own life. The observations I present in my body of work are made with wry humor and wit. As reflected in my thesis title, ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER first appears abundant with confection, but soon turns overripe, unveiling trauma with a sugar coating.

Moving from cherry flavoring in candy, to childhood tales of wasp stings, to the pressures of child bearing, ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER borrows subject matter from personal, pop culture, and historical imagery, irreversibly intertwining the portrayal of women in the media with the way I portray myself. Drawing upon my fears of intimacy and uncertainty about the future, 69, a large-scale painting, deconstructs and reinterprets the still-life genre through a collage of playing cards, wasps, lemons, and traditional decorative patterns. Filled with hidden meanings, the work rewards the viewer who knows what to look for.

Allison Hannah Fay

Allison Hannah Fay