Metamorphosis4" x 6"Prismacolor Colored Pencils on Paper1997Sold

This spiritual piece has multiple meanings. One way to read this colored pencil painting is as a depiction of the
rite of passage from childhood to womanhood. The woman is obviously young but her age is still ambiguous; and her eyes reveal a sense of profound wisdom that is the envy of youth. Another way to view this painting is as a symbol of the many transitions we all go through in life, much like a phoenix, or in this case, a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly. The juxtaposition of imagery and text stimulates the viewer both visually and intellectually. The word "metamorphosis" is used as a repetitive motif and appears six times either in full or in fragment, each time in a different font, to signify the many variations and textures of change that occur throughout a person's life. Written in black in the Courier font are two dictionary definitions of 'metamorphosis', added to accentuate the meaning of the piece. The overlaying of the text over the figure refers to the many layers of existence, both tangible and unseen.