Chloe Roush

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Prose Piece as Inspiration for Concept

I arrive with lumber, bricks, and mixed cement still

loose and flowing.

I hand them to the man in front of me and he lays

down the foundation to my new home.

However, it can only stand if he remains in the

walls.

My love grows as I can see the sunlight stream

through a window with glass that shields me

From the outside world.

His hand caresses me through the curtains and I

fall in love with a reflection.

Warm meals await on the stove,

Although I sit at the table alone.

The creak of a wooden floor and the dust in the

baseboards show time passing.

My love has grown for a man who is becoming a

distant memory.

Liberation can only exist within these confines.

Women have started to appear, hand in hand,

encircling the house.

They have tears in their eyes and appear silent.

My body presses against the front door and begs

to undo the locks.

I whisper softly, as if to my child, that we cannot

leave.

Heartbeats shake the house and keep me up at

night.

My dinner mat sits by a window, and I no longer eat

alone.

Concept

As a queer person, I am interested in the

interaction between the masculine and feminine

that exists in one body. This painting will be an

exploration of the complimentary themes through

the use of stark, complementary color contrast,

curving, thick brush strokes, and undulating

abstraction and detail.