Bloodroot

About the Work

From the Artist

To form the invisible—hidden meaning and moral significance—through the visible is the challenge of allegorical painting. I am fascinated with the complexities of allegory, and while my work essentially stems from personal narratives, it also wrestles with hard-to-grasp aspects of the human condition. I feel free to wander through the history of art, taking inspiration from great works in order to merge certain familiarities of the past with my uncertainties about the present. I cast a powerful play of light and color upon carefully proportioned structures to suspend a sense of stillness and quiet drama.
_{—Excerpted from https://www.timesleader.com/archive/1074042/artist-of-the-week-88, accessed 6-7-2021}

Bloodroot has a rich history in herbology. Native American cultures used bloodroot to induce vomiting, halt fevers and inflammation, and treat burns. However, it can become toxic if used in large quantities.

This precarious plant can be both the remedy and source of pain. In Sharon Bowers' print Bloodroot the heart is depicted as the source of life. We see Bowar using imagery and word-play to talk about the pain and pleasure that come from life.

This print is a trapezoid, a rectangle with only two equal sides. Its irregular shape evokes a sense of upward movement, as does the arrow shape that frames the print's imagery.  
_{—From Brandywine Workshop and Archives records}