Rebekah Corah
The desire I have to create, traces back to when I was five years old. I had a love for horses which drove me to draw them. I would sit with my doodle sketch filling the page with horse drawings, erase and repeat. I also have kept a journal since I was five, and would frequently record my life events and emotions through drawing. The work I am doing today is influenced by learning how to express my emotion visually when I was young.
I began to get more serious about art in high school. Mr. Baume, my professor, unleashed a passion for drawing in me that has taken me to where I am today. Growing up in the Denver area allowed for frequent visits to the Denver Art Museum where I was exposed to paintings by Albert Bierstadt. I was completely spell bound by Bierstadt’s paintings which inspired me to create work that would have the same effect on people. The passion I have to create led me to Western State Colorado University where I received my BFA in painting in May 2016. The artwork I am creating today is very personal; I strive to be honest with my viewers in hopes to connect with them on a deeper level.
Artist Statement
Equanimity: mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation I am exploring the interaction an individual has, both positive and negative, with fear. Equanimity can be achieved within the midst of fears. I want my viewers to be able to understand their inner struggles to a deeper degree through my work.
There are times when we let fear hold immense power. It creates boundaries, blocks us in, and requires us to always follow the rules. Fear is a master at telling lies, making one lose sight of their identity. Fear of the future plays an important role in the conceptualization of this body of art. The future is unknown and goes hand-in-hand with change. The idea of not having control over what may happen is frightening and my content is derived from this fear. I have found myself fighting against change and holding onto the past. Fear can hold someone back and become a burden simply because one lets it become a burden. It is a choice. Possessing peace for each situation can be something to reach for, but it is not always reality.
The use of symbolism in my paintings such as butterflies, birds, keys, and locks, are imperative in communicating my ideas. I also represent the figure in my paintings because fear is very controlling of the body. Fear is direct and can surround and engulf us at times. Another reoccurring symbol in my work is red string that is wrapped around the flesh to indicate how one can become stripped down and clothed by the ugliness of fear. We then tend to view our identity and our fears as one in the same. The anger and frustration regarding fear usually is internal for me, but I chose to represent it externally because it exemplifies a better understanding of fear.
Peace of the unknown is acquired through a strong knowledge of our identity; it is then possible to look straight ahead and step into who we are meant to be. Fear makes itself out to be a mountain we cannot overcome; but that same mountain can elevate us and make us stronger. In the midst of our fears and struggles it is possible retain equanimity.
Awards
February 2017: “Enslaved by Fear” received Second Place in the juried Fire and Ice show at the Depot Art Gallery in Littleton, CO.
January 2017: “Shalom” received Peoples’ Choice Award -Best of Show in the Doing it My Way New Members’ show at the Depot Art Gallery in Littleton, CO.
October 2016: “Time Has Finally Erased” received First Place in the juried Outside the Box show at the Depot Art Gallery in Littleton, CO.
April: 2016: “Time Has Finally Erased” was the spring scholarship winner in the painting category for the Pathfinder magazine.
Fall 2013: “Rising Hope” was the fall scholarship winner in the illustration category for the Pathfinder magazine.
