Suzanne Scott Constantine, 2000-2021
mixed media on canvas, 48″ x 36″

This artwork contains multiple layers of acrylic paint with written text beneath the paint’s surface. The central female figure stands in a position of fear or extreme sadness. Dangling from her hands is hand-woven yarn reminiscent of an Anglican rosary. Invisible to the viewer, the written text includes such aspirational catchphrases as “Liberty and Justice for All” and “We the People.” The hopefulness of the hidden text exists in the eternal present, but not in the figure’s current reality. Still, the fact that she seems to embody religious symbolism reminiscent of Mexico’s Virgin of Guadalupe is a reminder that every religious practice around the world can—and perhaps should—operate as a beacon of hope for human dignity for all people.