Keith Buswell

Lives and works in Lincoln, NE, USA

Artist statement

I am constantly amazed at the labels I ascribe to. Our culture establishes them to categorize each another into stringent definitions that simultaneously ease and stoke our fear of the other. I have learned that these stereotypes are nothing more than vases constraining the actual life that exists in all of us. At times they are used to define us to others. At times they are used against us through hate and fear. Understanding, discerning, and dissecting them allows us to combat their clinical dichotomy over our lives, while expanding our tolerance for new ideas. This body of work I have titled Unmentionables uses floral symbols juxtaposed to undergarments and taboo accessories to reveal flagrant and fragrant misconceptions surrounding the sexes. Utilizing the stark and graphic nature of the pencil on paper against the feminine backdrop of ready-made fabric, acknowledging my own preconceptions of the gender spectrum with cultural meanings of botany. These stereotypes become the artificial amphorae that contain life. By exposing the layers just above our skin, unveiling comical and controversial imagery normally deemed inappropriate, this work not only showcases my own preconceived notions of gender but also the generic symbolism flowers also hold. While the urn may seem anathematic, the joining of floral adornments creates a childlike and whimsical look at otherwise controversial subject matter. For whatever reason, our society has emphasized meaning behind nature, from...

Artwork