Molly's pearl earring, 2025
Charcoals on paper
24x18”
Molly has a way of being in a room that doesn't perform anything. She was adjusting her earring - not posing, just doing what you do before you face the world. The mirror gave me both at once: her back and her face, the private moment and the self-awareness that comes with it.
The charcoal felt right here. Every line is a commitment. What I'm pushing back on is the way this kind of image has been treated historically - the odalisque, the woman looked at, reduced. I'm not interested in possession or idealized beauty. I'm trying to see the person there, to recognize her presence, her mood, her way of being. Molly adjusting her earring isn't a symbol. She's just Molly.
Join our newsletter!
* denotes required fields
We will process the personal data you have supplied in accordance with our privacy policy (available on request). You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.