Reluctant
Bath
The merman will help me tell a story with a double meaning. Specifically, I feel like mermen already tend to have a gay stigma attached to them; therefore, I am utilizing the stereotype while also tying in the obvious “fish out of water” cliché, meaning he is out of his element, trying to be someone he is not. The water in my series is symbolic for what makes the merman who he really is and helps define him. But the merman is living a life outside of the water and outside of his element. The water in my paintings is a constant reminder of that. The merman is white and his hero is black, thereby bringing in the additional layer of race. Which is not always the case in mainstream society and I am challenging that.