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| Doug Auld |
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| website: http://www.dougauld.com |
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| Artist Statement: |
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| I paint burn survivors. In regards to the nude, my paintings depict the human form not as "traditionally beautiful", but rather the human form put through unfathomable adversity. The young people that have volunteered for my series of paintings have all endured physical pain and personal tragedy. Having survived true life-threatening injuries by fire, they chose to become models for works of Art. What could be more naked than their bodies with wounds and scars most people would never show? Bare-skinned, not as perfect figures that we all admire, but as figures we turn from. Yet their exposure goes beyond beauty as we understand it. The burn survivor models reflect a beauty witnessed as kindness, gentleness, wisdom and generosity. Knowing they are more than just a body, they have offered us our shared universal human frailty. We do exist in a physical reality with a continued threat to our fragile bodies. Be it an accident, a disease or the great equalizer - age, our bodies are illusions in time and so will diminish with time. Thus, our bodies are to be loved, enjoyed and admired while we have them. However, for those who are without these physical abilities, we need to become a more educated, compassionate and inclusive society. I hope my work can further this dialogue. |
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| (catalog image) |
Jelani
40" x 50", Oil on canvas |
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Nelson
40" x 50", Oil on canvas |
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Brian
40" x 50", Oil on canvas |
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