VIOLENCE: series

Modern media, specifically television, social media allow creators to share their stories with to a wider audience. In the U.S., censorship is constantly challenged. Creators are free to display violence in (almost) any way they'd like. With this series, I intend to capture the atmosphere of screencaps from different forms of violent media, with a type of expression that could only be captured through traditional painting. This painting series serves as a study of violence in modern media, and is currently ongoing.

I: spark

Scene: "Pop Squad" - Love Death & Robots

In this scene, we see a mother stare into her child's eyes for what may be her final chance to admire her daughter's existence. "I'll make room," she yells at the gunman, the murderer, who points a gun to her head. For she's committed the crime of bringing new life into a world of old. I captured her expression of desperation and love as she risks her life for another. The gunman's face is contorted, monstrous, as he ponders the unnatural decision to kill another human, a mother.

I tried to create the sense of a wave of emotion in our mother character's eyes. She's experiencing fear, sadness, love and anger.

IV: justice/karma

Scene: "Minnie and the Four Bodies" - Girl from Nowhere

In this scene, Nanno tortures Minnie, who tried to use money to escape the consequences of her murders. Minnie swayed the justice system with her family's financial assets, but she can't escape her fate.

Karma or justice? I couldn't decide what to title this piece. Justice is seemingly tangible, a culture can define it based on their values and morals. However, karma seems to be a product of fate. Intangible destiny that isn't based on morality like justice is. In this scene, we observe Nanno, who is described by the fanbase as representation of karma. In the start of the series, she has no morals. She ruins the lives of wrong doers without giving them an opportunity to redeem themselves. By contrast, a proper justice system should allow (most of) it's convicts to ease back into society with rehabilitation.

V: resolve

Scene: "Gganbu" - Squid Game

In this scene, we observe Ji-yeong, a character who has no passion left for life. She's been through prison for the murder of her father, who murdered her mother. Her father was a priest. A position which would have a lot of respect from society for voicing their god's will. However, this priest has only conducted the will of the devil, taking a life from another, especially his wife. It teaches a lesson that people can't always be trusted because they seem trustworthy.

The environment that Ji-yeong is in, in this scene, is filled with convicts and people in debt. They wouldn't seem trustworthy from their titles, however, Ji-yeong finds a friendship in this place. A friendship she is willing to sacrifice her life for, which she decides in these final moments.