Description of Work

"Rock the Casbah" - 2021 - Oil on Canvas,  18" x 18" - $160

"Feeling Lonely" - 2021 - Oil on Canvas, 15" x 30" - $180

"Escape" - 2021 - Oil on Canvas - $180

"Gives You Hell" - 2021 - Oil on Canvas, 18" x 24" - $180

"Pretty Young Girl" - 2021 - Oil on Canvas, 20" x 25" - $150

"Somebody That I Used to Know" - 2021 - Oil on Canvas, 12" x 36" - $150

"Growing Up is Getting Old" - 2021 - Oil on Canvas, 20" x 25" - $240

"Wake Up" - 2021 - Oil on Canvas, 22" x 28" - $270

Artist's Statement

Throughout the process of creating this series, I struggled with finding the true meaning behind what I was making and what it means to me. I felt as if the paintings were a strong representation of my personality, but I still wasn't able to make a genuine connection. I originally wanted to work with natural forms and colors, and for a while I focused on that. However, I did not realize what the series was about until I completed it in its entirety. I painted my friends in amusing poses and Halloween masks because I thought it wouldn’t read as pretentious. I wanted to make painting enjoyable again, without being concerned with a deeper meaning or hidden symbolism.

I realized that when I was painting my friends, I was seeing a mirror of myself in them and how we were all dealing with the current situation. College is all about finding yourself and your forever friends who are always going to be there for you no matter what happens in the world. I feel like I got to come to that conclusion thanks to this series; that despite having to live through disruption, I was able to find solace in my friends and my artwork. At the end of the day, we are all looking for some kind of comedic relief, something to laugh at. For me, these paintings became my relief. All it took was a group of kids being themselves for me to feel like myself again in a world of chaos.

Artist's Website: https://www.isabelwolke.com/

If you wish to purchase any of these pieces, please contact the gallery director, Jacqueline Nathan (jnathan@bgsu.edu.)