The Mould Family Portraits

Mynthia McDaniel

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(b. 1985, ACAD Grad Year - 2010)

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THE MOULD FAMILY PORTRAITS; 2009

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silkscreen

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44 x 44 in. (111.8 x 111.8 cm)

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ARTIST STATEMENT

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The Mould Family began from a simple poem I wrote about a young boy bullying his sister. 1 had no idea it would escalate into the main focus of my practice when I wrote it, but the more I thought about the characters, the more interested I became in them. Each one has their own personality that I hope the viewer can relate to, bringing them back to their own childhood and the sibling rivalry present in many households. This strange family has been created to delight the viewer in simple yet intriguing ways.

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I began "The Mould Family Portraits' in order to further develop each characters features, and get to know more about the characters before I moved on to placing them in various scenarios. The more I thought about and sketched the characters, the more they evolved into their own distinct beings. Now that I have completed the portraits, I have begun working on a series of interactions between Marcus and Mary. Marcus, the cruel older brother is out to make Mary's life quite miserable. Mary, the demure younger sister, is quite passive, and seems to think that this is just how life is. She is too weak and submissive to defend herself, but somehow manages to survive the bullying.

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Each print is quite the task, but it is important to take the time to draw each stencil by hand in order to achieve the right mood and feeling. The imperfections are very much a part of the piece that add charm in a way that no digital output could provide.

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As a child I always enjoyed a good picture book. Of many favourites, Maurice Sendak and Dr. Seuss seem to stand out the most. Their lyrical rhythm and engaging illustrations kept me entertained for hours and still do. I can only hope that one day I will be able to provide as much fun and laughter to children and adults as Sendak and Seuss have for me.