Take Home Portion of Final Test Essay

Maybe We Die So the Love Doesn't Have To Elizabeth Jaeger 2015.

This is a sculpture done by Elizabeth Jaeger titled Maybe We Die So the Love Doesn't Have To, made using ceramic, hydro-stone, and synthetic hair. This piece is two basic human figures, one being held by the ankles in a lifted crouching position by the other figure. The only colors used are red on the figure's lips and blue in the crouched figured eyes. Neither of the figures are clothed. The facial expressions of both the figures show the level of comfort they feel between each other. Jaeger made this piece in an attempt to expose an intimate moment between two people without giving the viewer any feeling of uneasiness. The combination of their joyous facial expressions and their closely entwined bodies communicates their intimate experience as becoming one with the other. 

A social construct this piece addresses is how people are often uncomfortable with talking about and seeing vulnerable intimacy being shared. In society today, people will try to shy away from talking about sex and they will try to keep it as private as they can. With this piece, Jaeger brings the intimacy out into plain view for all to see. Everyone is able to walk around these two peaceful bodies almost forced to acknowledge what they normally try so hard to avoid. The artist get's everyone viewing the piece to accept the two figures as two people who are blissful and in love. 

This piece was creative in the choices the artist made as to which parts of the figures got more detail and which parts got less. The bodies of the figures are both fairly smooth and less detailed. The toes and fingers are outlined and include nails. Also the coloring of their faces is where the brightest colors are, in their lips and the female figure's eyes. The hair on the two figures is the same color, but different lengths. Both figure's hair has a specific style, the female figure has bangs and the male figure's hair is different lengths. The facial features are fairly detailed, but only the base (white) color is used. 

This work makes me think about the world in a new way by showing that intimacy is not always the big secret everyone tries to tiptoe around. Often intimacy is expressed to be sacred and private and something to be taken very seriously. This piece portrays the side of intimacy that is filled with love and joy. Jaeger provides the idea that a definition of intimacy is two people becoming one with a shared happiness.