Intervention Proposal

 In my final proposal, I would like to trail back on the performance intervention we just did. As I mentioned, I am a big advocate for emotional connection. Just hearing many of my peers talk about how their parents don't them self-express or shut down their emotional wellbeing, I wanted to make an art piece that I'd hope would help encourage the expression of emotions. Something that always surprises me at my work and in classes is how often people openly talk about how they suppress their emotions. Whether it's out of their own decision or forced, not being able to freely express one's own emotion is the same as locking away our identity. I have never worked with a canvas before, but I want to go out in public and film myself painting. In my painting, the center of the canvas will be an imagination of self (a yellow "energy ball"). Around the energy ball are curved lines that gravitate around the ball like the planets circulating around the Earth. The lines will be different colors and represent an emotion. These lines and energies come from a big inspiration from Ben Jones pieces. In his art, he uses colorful lines as a way to show energy and how different lines and different colors can be an energy shift. These emotions will not come from my own imagination but from the community. I am more than likely going to post a poll on my Instagram, asking everyone for an emotion and a color that represents it. I will be doing this piece with my hands, and very similar to my old intervention I will be wearing a white shirt. Instead of using a paintbrush and water, I will be using my fingers to paint and whipping my fingers on the shirt. 

Ben Jones "Connected" 2022

With this piece, there are so many things I want to say to the general audience, our class, my friends, and even myself. Doing the painting outside, I hope people come up to me and ask me questions. Then I would be able to tell them about the meaning behind the painting and maybe even ask them for an emotion. To the people I ask about their emotions, I want them to feel heard. When we express our emotions, it can be very vulnerable and the worst thing that can happen when we express ourselves is when we feel as though no one is listening. When I'm done with the painting I will post it on my Instagram to show those who sent in an emotion. I also say that this is a selfish piece because, like the last intervention, I will be taking the emotions of others with me. The shirt I used to clean my hands is me working through every emotion of others. I am using my hands to craft and convey a message, while the canvas is the loudspeaker. My shirt is what comes after, it is me taking the emotions of others with me and letting me carry the emotions of others with me.

The inspiration for this piece comes from a couple of different inspirations. Shaun Leonardo is a big inspiration because of the message he wants to convey from many of his pieces. He is the embodiment of a male figure who is self-expressive. He shows that men have feelings too and should freely express them. I am heavily inspired by his piece where he hugs/fights another man. In his piece, he shows many hopeless emotions that you wouldn't normally see a person express in front of others. Like his piece, I want to be able to express my own emotions and the emotions of others out in public. I'm also inspired by one of our classmates. Leslie's painting of the atrocities in Palestine was extremely moving. Seeing the video of her painting outside was very inspirational and inspired me to do the same. I hope to be able to show everyone how beautiful it can be to freely.

Shaun Leonardo