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Still Golden
Diana Simon
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Diana Simon is a mother, psychologist, and artist living in southern California. She attained degrees in Psychology and Educational Psychology at California State University, Long Beach, and University of California, Santa Barbara, and practiced as a psychologist from 2009 to 2016. She was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases in 2011, and is a parent to two children, one of which is on the autism spectrum. Although she has produced artwork for private collections for years, she only began to reach out publicly since 2016. Her artwork often takes a critical view of social, psychological, and cultural issues; however, the ultimate goal of each piece is to find something beautiful that the viewer can enjoy. While she generally works in pen and watercolor, “Still Golden” is watercolor on paper, pen, and gold leaf.
ARTIST STATEMENT: This piece is based on a muse, C.J., who had the horrific experience of watching his stepfather murder his mother. During his muse interview, C.J. spoke about the "Abyss of Darkness" that he fell into after his mother's passing, and how finding his career, dance, saved him. He also spoke about how his mental health has suffered, and his time in a psychiatric hospital. This piece depicts him as he is, with his dark side and the remediating dance portrayed, and with the gold leaf to show that he is still a treasure even with, and perhaps especially because of, the challenges he has overcome.
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