Brandi Read is an oil painter based in Arizona. For her series « Unset in Stone », she drew her inspiration from the sculptures produced from the classical period to the Hellenistic period as well as in the neoclassical period. The subjects, mostly feminine and expressive, represent characters from mythology. « I like to compare and contrast the experience of women from mythology to that of women living today. Sometimes they are different, but more often I find that things have not changed that much for us. », she says.
The flowers chosen and represented by Brandi Read, reinforce the symbolism of the mythological story depicted. For example, peonies are the symbol of shame, lilies of purity, black roses of tragic love. « I’m very interested in how the ways in which we have depicted or portrayed women throughout history have perpetuated some of the women’s issues currently on the table, such as sexual violence and gender stereotypes. It is for this reason that I depict narratives that do include sexual violence by including flowers that serve as metaphors for that violence. » she finished.
