E. Brooke Lanier

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Sincerely

paper, etchings

dimensions variable

© 2010 - $700

The foundation of this piece is an etching of the phrases, “I love you” and “I am so proud of you,” repeated so many times that they become static and semi-illegible. I designed a font, then cut the words “Any time you need me, feel free to leave a message” out of the etched paper. I intended this piece to address the disconnect between intentions and actual outcomes in relationships that often occurs among very busy people, especially with the growing number of alternative, more time-efficient methods of communication increasingly replacing actual human interaction. Repeating something endlessly sometimes nullifies its intended effect.

Veiled Threat

Oil and wax on panel

4x4x3/4

© 2010 - $300

The small scale and pastel palette of this painting allude to domesticity and the body. The text’s veiled threat, presented as a treat, implies that subtle threats are the most dangerous. For instance, victims of domestic violence often become accustomed to navigating a complex pattern of behaviors in order to avoid incurring abuse. Things that would cause great alarm to an outsider become routine in their household. This kind of subtle threat, hidden in the promise of security, poses more risk than hitching a ride from a blood-spattered maniac for the reason that it is easier to avoid a threat that is an obvious screaming danger than one you are unaware is dangerous at all.

Caveat

etching

73/4 x 57/8

© 2010 - $300

Some day maybe I could love you

if I could forget you were a killer

 

This piece highlights our tendency to gloss over or romanticize harsh truths and fundamental realities when they conflict with our idealized image of a person whom we find appealing. The text in this piece is the first line of a poem which addresses an emotionally and politically complex flirtation with an officer in the US Military.