“Death of a Disco Dancer”
Oil on wood panel
Final project for Painting I, Fall 2023
For “Death of a Disco Dancer,” I used myself as a portrait reference, and took many reference photos until I was able to piece together an image that worked well conceptually and compositionally. I blocked in the basic shapes and colors using acrylic paint, then painted the image in detail using oil paints – starting at the eyes and working from the face outward. This painting marks a progression in my work towards a more painterly style, as my marks are looser and more expressive, with evident brush strokes.
Juried Student Exhibition
This painting is inspired by a randomly-selected song title: “Death of a Disco Dancer ” by The Smiths. The painting is a portrait of a figure (presumably the “disco dancer ”) holding open a halved, hollow disco ball and looking despairingly, longingly, and mournfully towards the viewer. The painting reflects the song’s theme of escapism – using an activity to distract oneself from reality or unpleasant emotions or situations. During the disco era, disco became a form of escapism for many people. However, one eventually discovers that disco (and any other activity used as a form of escapism) is “empty ” at the core and cannot fix problems or fulfill needs. The figure in the painting has made this discovery, as she holds her idea of escape, broken and hollow, with a pensive and sorrowful gaze. This acts as a metaphor for how humans have an innate need and desire for God that they attempt to fill with all sorts of replacements, only to find that the “replacements” are hollow and unfulfilling. Jesus is the only way that this emptiness can be filled, and the only true solution to this sorrow.