Suzanne Scott Constantine, 2021
mixed media and collage on canvas, 14″ x 11″

These five pieces, created simultaneously, were inspired by the 1979 disco anthem “We are Family,” sung by Sister Sledge. The whimsical, stylized female figures represent the endless variety of female form, style and self-presentation. They symbolize both our differences and our aspirations to stand side-by-side, talking, laughing, questioning, arguing and just being together. The collage components of the artworks are papers created from advertising circulars— disposable junk reclaimed by creative interventions. Recognizing that women in society are frequently undervalued means that we are called on to recognize the value of each other—as sisters in a fragmented world. That kind of solidarity and unity rests on an understanding that each person has fragile and broken places, which when mended become stronger and more beautiful. Out of the cracked-open places, new growth occurs, and that knowledge creates a more compassionate and courageous reaching out to embrace the differences among us.