Culture and Big Idea in My Art

The Take Off: This piece does not involve much meaning. It was a way for me to overcome my initial fear of putting paint to canvas and to simply get a feel for acrylic paints.
Ben and Emily: This piece involves my big idea of relationships. It is about the movie Seven Pounds. The piece is about sacrificing yourself for someone you care about.
My Favorite Things: This piece includes a lot of my personal culture. The shoe is a running spike, the Fall Out Boy CD is my favorite, and the bracelet is my favorite color.
Friendly Beads: The bracelet was made for me by a friend. The initials are mine and two of my best friends. Their friendship means a lot to me.
Write It Down: This piece is a self-portrait that was inspired by the surrealist movement. It is about writing in order to express yourself or set goals for yourself.
Racing the Clock: This piece is about a runner's relationship with the clock and the progression of a race. The runners in the piece gradually appear more and more tired as the race goes on. Running is a huge part of my culture and my life. It is a great sport because it's very satisfying and I can do it for the rest of my life.
Venice and the Sea: This linoleum print is about the relationship of Venice to the ocean. The city relies on the sea for food, trade, and recreation. There is a festival that marries the sea to Venice, and this piece includes a wedding ring and boat that are used in the festival.
Attempted Organization: This pastel piece is my pantry. It says a lot about my home and the lack of organization in it. Also, the food in the art is all American and not necessarily healthy.
Ignorance: This graffiti piece was inspired by Banksy. It was made in response to "Burn a Koran Day" which was organized by a Christian man in Florida on September 11, 2010. The burning of any religious group's holy text is completely disrespectful, and the aim of this piece was to indicate how ignorant some Americans are about the Islamic faith.
Kruger pieces: Barbara Kruger inspired two pieces for me. The first is a comment on the culture of Dublin Jerome High School. Many girls at the school carry excessive purses and feel the need to do so in order to fit in. The second is a satirical piece. Having "Chosen One" tattooed on your body seems  to indicate that you may be too confident and eventually abuse power.
Neopolitan: This piece involves another friendship relationship. It was done in the style of Renaissance art by layering thin washes of paint repeatedly.
Our Passion: This clay piece was inspired by Tom Bartel. It is commenting on love as it comes to humans naturally. The fire represents the passion we can have for someone else, whether they are male or female. The piece is about letting passion inspire your relationships.