I decided to focus on the gradual progression of anxiety into a panic attack, documenting this through a series of paintings. After having previously used acrylic in previous work I decided to return to the medium whilst introducing glass as a surface to work on. Although having used acrylic before I have only ever used monochrome tones, as I struggle to mix flesh tones due to the lack of flexibility in the paint. The medium dries too fast for me to work with. I therefore decided to develop my skills with monochrome acrylic for a photorealistic but painterly finish.

 

Working on glass enabled me to represent the fragility of the individual. Having social anxiety often takes control away from the individual when in a social situation. The fragility of the glass enables me to smash the piece, representing how social anxiety can cause an individual to break under pressure. I used a sticky clear film on the back of each piece which enabled me to smash the glass whilst holding the pieces together. Any small sections of glass could then be held together and cut into larger sections. The time taken to paint each piece contrasts to the time taken to smash the glass, as the perfection and detail captured in the paint can be ruined instantly by smashing the piece.

 

I decided to present the three paintings on the wall with the pieces of glass gradually growing in distance from each other. This highlights the break down of confidence in each stage, and how the figure slowly becomes more and more anxious, resulting in a panic attack. This is also represented through the facial expressions of the figures. Presenting this piece opposite a projection video of the timelapses taken of the pieces shows the contrast in the gradual build-up of paint to the smashed final portraits. This piece is therefore created to raise awareness of Social Anxiety and the impact it may have on an individual, often resulting in panic attacks and a loss in confidence.