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PascalCampion β Status: Single
Published: 2013-03-13 16:37:36 +0000 UTC; Views: 25240; Favourites: 1263; Downloads: 0
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Comments: 177
i love all you paintings, but this is fantastic!!
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and her catΒ΄s name is bamboo.
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^________^ it is (at least for me haha)
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what name would you give to the cat?
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(Hilare) Oui, Γ§a rΓ©sume assez bien les choses, les soirΓ©es en solitaire dans son petit appartement avec le chat et internet, Γ rΓͺver au prince charmant...
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Sounds a lot like me.Btw it looks very nice as always.
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Wow, I can really see myself in this picture! I love how you portrayed the mood, your art is very lovely
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I love this one! Great use of tones &colors. I can feel the 'blue' mood she's in.. i like how you drew he looking out the window with her little cat by her side. 
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Lovely mood in this image, as always! There had been times in years past when I could certainly relate to the narrative here. I hope those days can remain well behind me now :>
Beautiful work, good sir!!
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Thank you Painted Bees
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i know how she feels, she reminds me when i was single.. but don't worry she will find someone soon
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I am sure she will
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So...huh. I could be overreacting, but honestly, this seems a bit stereotyped to me. Are we supposed to assume that all single people are depressed shut-ins who sit around with their laptops and cats and mope all day? I've been watching you for a while now and the vast majority of your gallery consists of happy couples and/or their families. Are you saying that's the only route to true happiness?...Because it isn't. Just because someone's alone doesn't mean they're lonely. There are numerous singles out there (myself included) who have stayed that way their entire lives and don't plan on landing a boyfriend/girlfriend anytime soon. We're content with our lives as they are; if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
This girl seems like one of those people who constantly whines on Facebook about how they hate being single and no one loves them and they're forever alone and blah blah blah blah...(I've come close to de-friending people like this) and make their friends want to slap them in the face. If you want a significant other so bad, DO SOMETHING about it instead of feeling sorry for yourselves. Self-pity and inaction (especially combined) are repulsive personality traits, so if you were trying to make this girl attractive, you didn't succeed (at least not from where I'm standing). I find myself unable to sympathize with her. Your painting style is beautiful as always, but I see serious flaws in the concept here.
Again, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but as a *happy* perpetual single, I find this kind of offensive. I wouldn't mind if this were a humorous piece, but it isn't. If this involves the story of a specific person (not a 1-dimensional representation of a group of people), that would make things better, but it needs some explanation. Sorry for ranting; I'm just sick of these kinds of generalizations about single people. We see it way too often without properly addressing it. So yeah, if this has a more specific narrative behind it, it would be great if you could give us that information.
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Stop projecting. Please.
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What if the character had just some time ago faced a break-up and just few moments ago had changed her status? :I
:II
:IIIIII
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Pretty sure some of the other comments cover that. I'm not saying that my reaction to this was the only possibility; it was just the first reaction I had. In hindsight, I may have jumped the gun too soon, but really, I was just being honest.
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Understandable~
Haha, not to offend or anything, but your reaction made me think someone has purposely hurt you with saying something negative about singles, or given attitude towards being single. ...or you yourself have had issues with being single, or issues with single persons overall... ''lD
I think too much.
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lol No, I don't have issues with singles or being single. I just don't like society's idea that being alone automatically makes you unhappy, or that having a partner is the ideal route to true fulfillment in life. I mean, when you think about it, you probably know a ton of people who would list getting married among their life goals, because our culture teaches us that that's what we should want. I initially thought that this artist might have been unwittingly playing into that, and that's why I brought it up. We need to have more serious discussions about this stuff.
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Hmm, I think that's mainly a culture-thing that comes either from religion or trend?
Here in my country people don't give rat's ass if you're single or not...
I was just fine with being single when I still was (heh, dating for the first time in my life now when I'm 19), and no-one never even mentioned anything about it. I didn't really even think about relationships and couldn't care much about stuff related to them.
...and I know more happy single persons than happy people who are dating anyway, so... I've never had a 'stereotype' like that in my mind. About sad singles.
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Yeah, here in the States I feel it's a cultural issue with religious aspects to it (for instance, it seems more "respectable" to be married than to be single or "livin' in sin" with a boyfriend/girlfriend or technically single with a string of lovers). If you're single for too long, people start wondering why, like maybe there's something wrong with you. Then they feel sorry for you, assuming you must be lonely when you aren't (I started noticing these things as early as middle school, particularly the social pressure to start dating). There are stereotypes about virginal nerds and "crazy cat ladies" and so forth that make the long-term bachelor life a subject of ridicule. The media forces relationships down our throats, I think, particularly in TV and movies. Catering to the heteronormative majority, I suppose: the people they can squeeze the most money out of. It all reinforces the idea that "you should want sex/romance, because you won't be considered a complete human being without it". I've seen it improve in the past year, but we still have a ways to go.
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The beautifully unpredictable thing about art is that no matter how forcefully an artist tries to steep a certain piece with deep meanings (or conversely, leaves their piece as ambiguous as possible) they have absolutely no control or way to predict how their works will be received or perceived.
Personally, I didn't see this image as a critique or abasement of single people (which I also happen to be) or the manner in which they live their lives... But that's my opinion and it is just as valid as yours or M. Campion's. I suppose I'm just confused as to why this piece engendered such feelings of offense on your part.
You spoke of people making unfair assumptions or gross generalizations about singles, but perhaps due to constantly defending against ignorant individuals who perpetuate stereotypes about them, you yourself jumped to hasty conclusions regarding the intention and meaning behind this piece.
As you mentioned, the image is ambiguous and lacks additional information or explanations regarding the character's back-story. This considered, I see it as a bit biased to argue that this piece has negative connotations about those who are single, when you have so little to infer from this piece to back your claim or for others to even form the opposite argument.
Anyway, I'm glad things were cleared up between you and the artist. Positive or negative, it's nice that people can express their opinions on art freely.
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Hi LiketheIsland.
How are you?
I don't know if you are overreacting or not... I actually don't know you at all. Maybe you tend to react strongly on a regular basis, and this would just be a normal reaction for you, and maybe you tend to be more controlled and this is an overreaction in contrast.. I really don't know.
When I create an image, I do have a narration in my mind, and what I do is suggest storylines rather than force them in the image. If you look at most of my images, you'll see that there is a sense of before and a sense of after.. the images usually depict a moment that is "inbetween".
I do this mostly on purpose so that the reader can chose which way to take the image.
Of course... even If the stories are suggested, there is still a fairly strong sense of direction..but still.. you can take it whichever way you want it.
It's interesting to read your interpretation of this image, mainly because it is so far from what I had in mind...but is a very valid point.
It's also interesting to see what you think I am trying to do... I guess I didn't think that people were going to try to break down the images, rather than enjoy them for what they are.. but this is all very fair.
My story for this one was different than yours, but since I like these images to have a life of their own, your interpretation is as good as mine at this point.
Don't worry about ranting.. this is a social website after all.. if you can't rant here where can you really do it?
I hear what you are saying and I totally understand it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write it out. I truly appreciate the feedback.
p
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No, this really isn't normal...Usually it takes a lot to offend me, like something that most people would realize was blatantly "off", but not this time. I don't think you're necessarily trying to say that "single people are all like this" or whatever. It's just that sometimes people get the idea in their heads that being single is inherently undesirable, and that if you can't land a significant other or don't want to, there must be something wrong with you. Most people don't notice it much, but, unfortunately, people like me are in a position where we have no choice. Regarding the sense of "inbetween" for this image: I could absolutely understand if this were a situation she had no control over, like a recent breakup or even the death of her loved one, but without any visual indication of that, it just makes her look like a pathetic crybaby whining because she doesn't have a boyfriend. Without that connection to the previous part of the story, how can we know exactly what's going on? If it's a narrative, I feel like it shouldn't be that open to interpretation. Maybe it would make more sense if she had a photo of her old boyfriend in her room. We would see she had one, but we wouldn't know what happened to him. He could have dumped her, or cheated, or left without a word, or died in a war, or died from illness, or was eaten by a slow loris...The possibilities are endless. So really, there are ways to leave the story open but still move it in the direction you intended (and avoid commenters going off in the polar opposite one, lol). Anyway, thanks for being understanding.
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Well then, in a way I am happy I got a reaction from you. Not that I want to make you or anybody else upset, it's never my purpose.
I hear what you say, and, again, you have a very valid point and I won't dispute it.
Thank you so much for being able to articulate it the way you did.. it definitely makes me look at this particular image in a different way!
P.
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No problem! Glad it does!
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It really does actually.
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Look at how differently we all have interpreted this piece. I think itβs rather powerfulβ¦
When I look at the image I get a feeling of acceptance and progress. You know, the same feeling you have when you leave the airport after returning home from a great vacation. The same, slightly sad feeling you have when you finally, at some point, no matter what, have to accept what has happened and make it a real, actual part of your past. To me, the image is an illustration of the exact moment when you have made the decision and taken the step to a new chapter in your life. The title is just a hint, the girlβs story not important (to me) β I just enjoy how easy this image place me inside a specific feeling, memory and state of mind.
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That makes sense. I guess changing one's Facebook stats to "single" indicates that the person may be ready to move on to a new relationship.
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Mmm I dunno, my initial thought on this image was that about a lass who perhaps had just endured the end of a relationship she didn't want to end, and morosely set her status to "single" that night. She looks out the window wondering if her ex-lover, somewhere out there, was regretting the decision as well.
Either way, it's a relatable piece. People out there continue to endure moments of self-pity over a lack of romantic partner. I certainly had, though I was never the sort to outwardly express it. And perhaps this lass isn't that sort either. Perhaps this is a rare moment of quiet, perhaps morose introspection for her.
In short, your projecting your own story to a vague work that is open for interpretation--and you are getting offended by your own interpretation of the piece. There's nothing wrong with the narrative of this image, it's very loose and allows the viewer to read their own story into it--which is really part of the appeal. You didn't like the story you came up for for it, so think of a different one to put to it. There's nothing to be offended about here, unless you really just want something to find offense in. In which case, the forums might prove more fruitful :>
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Yeah, that's what I got out of it as well. Very lovely piece.
I just did that tonight, myself...
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"Think of a different one"-? That's like telling someone to never trust their first impressions. "Oh, you've got a gut feeling that guy's a child molester? Don't worry, just pretend his covered van is an ice cream truck." Just...what? If this is so open to interpretation, what's wrong with having a reaction that deviates from everyone else's? How is my interpretation any less valid than yours? Obviously there's nothing to offend you here, but I felt a sinking feeling the instant I first saw this. Do you honestly think I'm just bringing it up for attention or something? I saw other issues at work here that most of these other viewers (and even the artist) have the privilege of not seeing, yet these are unsettling concepts I and many others have to deal with every day. And in my opinion, they need to be addressed much more often. Not everyone thinks like you, bro. What isn't offensive to you may be horribly disturbing to someone else because of their background. And really, does anyone try to find things that offend them? If so, my god. That would be a miserable existence.
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I didn't say your interpretation was less valid, but clearly it upset you so it seemed a little counter intuitive to stick to believing that was the one and only narrative that could be tied to the image.
Your comparison of an open ended narrative in an illustration to a child molester is a bit out of left field and could be considered pretty distasteful/offensive in of itself. Do be mindful of what you are saying.
All I'm saying is that you read a negative narrative out of a neutral illustration, that it has clearly upset you, and that nothing is really stopping you from getting a different story out of it except yourself.
Take from that as you please. If you wish to be offended, you are very welcome to feel that way, but there is nothing inherently wrong with the image outside of your personal interpretation.
Cheers!
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Just making a point, dude. There's something to be said about truth here. Conjuring up happier stories to mask the ugly truth you see (as you've suggested I should do) can have harmful consequences. If this piece is really open to anyone's interpretation, I can't just stand by and pretend I didn't see what I saw. If you noticed a stealthy carnivore (or molester, whichever) creeping up on your oblivious friends, you'd speak up, wouldn't you? Same goes for this. I saw an aspect to this piece that no one else considered; an aspect that needs to be discussed much more than it is in society as a whole (American society, at least). Naive realism was the predator here. I never said it was the only possible narrative; just that the picture suggested things that perhaps the artist didn't intend. And again, no one wishes to be offended by anything. It's a gut reaction; you're either offended or you're not. I'm usually not, but was a bit this time. Like I said, if you actually seek out certain things to piss yourself off, that sounds like a hellish way to live.
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There are plenty of people who do flail about angrily for the sake of getting a rise out of an otherwise benign situation, and it's quite a common occurrence :> I'm glad to hear that's not the case for you.
So does any illustration that appears to depict a person mourning loneliness win such negative emotions out of you? I suppose art is art based on the fact that it can bring out a variety of emotions from people, and success of the work is measured by the strength of the response. I also agree with your core sentiment that it could be refreshing to see illustrations where the narrative is very blatantly, "this person is single and they feel very fulfilled by it".
It might be a fulfilling exercise to produce such work yourself. I assume you feel so strongly about this because you yourself are an asexual person and feel there is, perhaps, not enough work out there that represents you, or that you can relate to on this particular subject. Maybe making work that's relevant to your emotions on this topic might prove to be a more productive/effective manner of bringing the matter to light for other people's consideration. Rather than urging other artist against depicting the sentiments of 'being single and lonely', despite it being that the artist himself may be illustrating a matter close to his own heart and relatability.
People do often feel the way the lass appears in this illustration, as can be seen via the comments to this piece. And as long as there are people who feel that way, there will be illustrations to represent it. There's nothing wrong with that, and artists are allowed to depict it without feeling like they're forced to walk on eggshells about it :> And at the same time of course, the very same applies to any artist who wishes to produce an illustration that presents a happy aromantic person who's relationship status is, indeed, "single".
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ppppft God, no. I think what made this one unique was that it has a couple (coincidental, I now realize) lonely-single-guy stereotypes like the cat and the laptop humming long into the night and being shut inside a darkened room like a hermit. The color palette and her expression make it obvious that she's depressed, and based on the fact that there's no other evidence regarding what she could be depressed about, it seemed like she was upset solely about the fact that she was single (which would have been irritating on a feminist level too, as there are schmucks out there who think a woman's main purpose in life is to get married, but I digress). There was no indication of a past boyfriend, which might have focused the actual narrative without costing it its open-ended nature (as I mentioned to the artist earlier).
I'm not saying people shouldn't make works like this, just as long as they make it clear the art is representing a specific person and not unfairly generalizing a group of people. Here it just wasn't that clear at first. The real issue here isn't that anyone's trying to be derogatory; it just came off that way due to lack of specificity. So I guess when artists depict someone that could exist in the real world (especially within a sex, culture, ethnicity, etc. they aren't part of), they should take care to flesh out the character's background, avoid stereotypes and such (helps to know what those stereotypes are). Seriously, I'm sure one photo of the girl with the boyfriend would have been all it took to make the true intent here much clearer. That one little addition would get part of the story across without giving too much away or feeling like a slight to those of us who are proud to hold this title. Really, it's not rocket science, guys. Just be aware.
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