Skyler's artwork invites viewers to contemplate both individual and collective experiences of conflict, memory, and innocence within a visually complex and emotionally evocative landscape.
The piece combines a focus on personal and emotional aspects like fragmented memories and loss of innocence, with broader societal issues such as war and environmental decay. These seemingly contradictory aspects are bridged through the artwork's use of symbolic objects and surreal imagery, allowing viewers to consider both individual and collective experiences of conflict, memory, and responsibility. The disjointed nature of the composition and scattered objects, such as the crooked top and the telephone pole with downed wiring, represent fragmented recollections, especially of traumatic events. The artwork explores how memories, individual or societal, can be persistent and incomplete.
The background's pastel colors represent innocence and calm, while dark smudges and red blotches symbolize danger and violence, reinforcing the thematic juxtaposition. Varied textures, from smooth areas to thick, impasto-like brush strokes, add depth and emphasize the turbulent atmosphere.
The piece also employs surreal proportions, with small toy-like objects set against a vast, expressive sky, highlighting the overwhelming impact of physical or psychological conflict. The black shape at the top center-right seems like a dark cloud or smoke, evoking a sense of foreboding or destruction, with a clown resting complacently on it. This juxtaposition suggests the absurdity or denial of reality in the face of destruction or trauma. The child, covered in soot and holding a coffee mug, represents innocence touched by hardship, highlighting the contrast between the innocence of youth and the harshness of reality.
On the right side, the red rose with a blue center counters the dark cloud, potentially representing lifeblood and resilience despite fragility. This symbolizes the chance to reconstruct a more complete memory as long as we survive.
