High Anxiety Tea Party
Several years back I had an idea to make artwork pertaining to mental illness.
Today, individuals (and families), are afflicted with mental illness more than the public is aware of. From depression/anxiety to PTSD, and lacking fundamental coping skills, mental illness can lead to a lifetime of unavoidable complications. As an artist, I wanted to bring awareness to the disorder the only way I knew how: visually. Metaphorically, I chose the strong yet fragile teacup to represent the isolation people experience when they suffer from an illness. The looming background expresses vulnerability and loneliness. The cracks resemble a person’s “defects”, or the cracking that occurs during nervous breakdowns. It is the baggage that many people strive to live with, emphasizing the idea that no one is perfect. People need to feel accepted and not stigmatized.
Unfortunately, mental illness has again been put in the forefront of the news with the passing of two amazing people, A.Bourdain and K. Spade.
In January of this year, I bought teacups, broke them and glued them back together. The gluing represents putting ourselves back together. I then realized that I could not break such pretty objects, so I drew in the cracks digitally. I set up each cup and photographed them (with my Canon A7) individually on grey seamless. I have a series of 15 pieces so far and counting.
— Andrea DiFiore
Andrea discusses her Anxiety Tea Party series:
High Anxiety Tea Party series
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Mother & Child
Ecru with gold trim
French Couple
Copper Cup
Purple Flower
Red + Gold
Roses
Black Interior
Peacock
Floral Water Series
Andrea also created a series of her floral and water photographs combined that almost pulls the viewer into a dream. Each artwork is executed by initially finding live flowers and photographing them in various positions. The artist then digitally composes the flowers so they appear to be floating. Her floral waters series of artworks illustrates the fragility and vulnerability of our ecosystem.
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Sunflower
Peony
Lily
Fucia
Cherry Blossoms
Gerbera
Red Hibiscus
Globe Thistles
Orange Orchids
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Andrea DiFiore is a multi-disciplined artist who has executed a wide variety of artworks in various mediums.
When Andrea was a child, the most influential public personality in her life was Jacques Cousteau. She never missed an episode of “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau”. Every week she would tune in to find out where Mr. Cousteau’s ship, the Calypso, would be taking his audience next. The images of underwater beauty and Mr. Cousteau’s melodious French accent still rings in her ears.
Growing up on the East Coast, the ocean and water were a huge part of Andrea’s life and remain so. She is passionate about preserving our oceans, keeping them clean, helping the varied sea life from being decimated by pollution.
Ms. DiFiore’s work deals with the fragility of life.
Artwork © Andrea DiFiore