Serena Cole
A Quiet Oman, 2007, watercolor and colored pencil, and gold leaf on paper, 30 x 32 in.
Ruby, 2008, Watercolor and colored pencil on paper, 50 x 42 in.
The Seduction of Destruction), 2011, mixed media on paper, 48 x 36 in.
Diana, 2008, Watercolor, colored pencil, dye, and gold leaf on paper, 30 x 22 in.
Pieta, 2009, Watercolor, colored pencil, and gold leaf on paper mounted on board, 50 x 42 in.
Exquisite Dominion, 2006, Watercolor, colored pencil, ink, and gold leaf on paper, 30 x 32 in.
Blind Devotion, 2008, Watercolor, colored pencil, dye, and gold leaf on paper, 30 x 22 in.
Onyx, 2008, Watercolor, colored pencil, and dye on paper, 50 x 42 in.
Artist Statement
In today’s Western society, I see no real heroes or idols to emulate. Instead there is a decadent escapism from a darkening future with war, environmental deterioration, and chemical warfare on the horizon. We have replaced our idols with pop culture. Searching through fashion magazines and images on television, it appears that unattainable, inhuman images of beauty and elitism have come to sedate our senses. We are devoted to these images, which do not serve as distinguishable personalities, but as a revered brand of idealism that relieves our fears of mortality and destruction of apocalyptic proportions.
In my work, I use images of attractive figures from fashion magazines to illustrate the haunting themes beneath our worshiped fantasies. In many images, there is layer of beauty and seduction which leads the viewer to desire something. Upon deeper inspection, however, these models are often sickly, androgynous, or posed as if they have been beaten or are half dead. My work is inspired by the psychological implications of what fuels our desires and insecurities. I intend my images to be seductively beautiful, but also slightly uneasy to look at. I think of these drawings as icons of our ideals, and also of our inhuman aspirations. (artistaday)
Is Onyx for sale?