Sofia Brunetti

Among Flowers
22 x 30
Digital Photograph

“Renaissance and Rebirth.” The two things I, for the most part, thought about when bringing this piece to life. The Italian Renaissance was a period of cultural, political, and so-called artistic “rebirth.” During this time, classical philosophy, art, and literature were rediscovered and used as an escape for the artists, a sort of freedom that produced beautiful and inspiring works of art. I hoped to capture a kind of baroque air and femininity with the flowers. The ropes holding the flowers not only symbolize the connection between human beings and “the divine,” so to speak, as well as sacred places and moments, but also the standards that society holds too tightly towards women as a whole, or, so they thought. Over the past few years, there has been somewhat of a cultural renaissance compared to that of the 15th century. The younger generation, my generation, has continued to change societal and political norms through our art and activism. The newer generations have completely changed what it means to be a woman. We are no longer held back by the ropes of sexism and misogyny of our former generations, forced to be submissive and cater to the will of those around them. These pieces are the portrayal of how I see the world against women in this generation. The confinement. The torture. But out of those, I have created something beautiful. Like a phoenix from the ashes, if you will.