Suzanne Scott Constantine, 2017-2021
mixed media on canvas, 40″ x 30″

This artwork, which includes many layers of acrylic paint and other media, also has handwritten text beneath the surface. The words written beneath are multiple iterations of a line from a poem by Muriel Rukeyser: “If one woman told the truth about her life, the world would split open.” Although invisible, the text is about what’s at stake when a woman chooses to live as her authentic self. Although she is continually being tugged at from below by forces that would prefer her to be less than who she is, the strands of hand-spun yarn above are tender cords of love that gently lift her up so she can dance to her own rhythms and move toward her full potential. The cords of love and connection keep her safe when she speaks the truth and the world splits open!