This is a piece by Chiara Bautista, who is mysterious and hard to track down. Because of this, I am unsure of the title, but I will call it “Licking the Dust” for the writing at the bottom. I do not know the location of this piece, but it was created in 2008, which is also on the piece itself, and it is a digital piece.
When I look at this picture, my first emotional response – after I am through being overwhelmed at the sheer busyness of it – is almost pity for the girl at the statue’s feet. She is obviously in love with whomever the statue represents (the plethora of hearts, the words in the piece, how she is wrapping herself around it…), and it is most probably unrequited.
This looks like a rendition of a famous piece (she has done so before) but I do not recognize it on hand. Due to the structure of the lines and the composition, the eye is drawn upwards from the girl, following up to the statue’s hand, and to the ribbon saying “angelicus.” Above everything is the ribbon twined with the frame of the piece, saying “Fill it out… & give it back.” This is probably a reference to the book in the girl’s hand, though I am unsure of the meaning. After looking at the book, it is easy to focus on the song mentioned in the plaque. If bothered to look it up, the line at the marked time is saying “Let me tell you now, it’s lucky for you that we’re friends.”
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The crying eyes in clouds, the bear plushy cherubs, the sirens/mermaids, the skele-bird, and the paper boat are all images linking Chiara with this work automatically.
The title, “Licking the Dust” brings yet another element to this piece with its meaning. Licking the dust is a saying that means being slain in battle, and it is probably referencing the love lost between the girl and the statue. This proves my theory that this piece is about the girl’s emotions towards the statue’s