Natalia Anciso

          These weeks presentations featured such meaningful themes that I could relate to and appreciate. The image that struck me and left the most lasting impression was Natalia Anciso's Joe (2011) pen, watercolor, and embroidery on fabric, which Roxanne Morrison presented on Wednesday. This image features colorfully vibrant images of flowers along the top and right hand borders as well as a man who has hung himself drawn in pen in the center. I was shocked to see suicide and flowers in the same artwork and I felt awe for the flower's beauty and simultaneous sympathy for the deceased individual. As mentioned my Roxanne, I really admired how Anciso gave the man a name "Joe" and therefor gave him an identity and emphasized the importance of his being. Additionally, because my eyes were naturally drawn to the vibrant flowers, I understood this image as a message of encouragement to individuals who struggle with depression or suicidal thoughts. The man is drawn with pen and he is disproportionately smaller than the flowers, or the beautiful aspects of the image. Therefore, to me this image meant that there might be internal struggles which tempt some individuals with drastic measures, suicide, however, life has so much beauty to it, represented by the flowers, and troubled individuals can push through and enjoy life.