Foreign Blues by Emily Boge Rodriguez

“Foreign blues” delves into the universal fear of change and the unknown, an experience that  connects my sitter and I. Human nature draws us to love things that bring us comfort and familiarity, and in turn, we fear change and what we don’t understand, as if it threatens all we know. 

To deepen the narrative and enhance the emotional resonance I’ve symbolically juxtaposed warmth and cold, familiarity and foreignness, known and unknown, by illuminating the right and contrastingly cooling the left. My sitter is gravitating towards the familiar and recoiling from what’s foreign, defensively clutching the blanket, and gingerly reaching for the warm lamp. Cold hues creep over the composition creating visual tension mirroring the emotional conflict experienced when confronted with change. Initially uncertain about introducing the blue hues, I feared disrupting the comforting warmth, much like ‘we’ fear the intrusion of the unknown into ‘our’ sanctuary. Although afraid of change, ‘we’ cling onto the warm lamp as a source of dwindling comfort. 

Ultimately, my painting invites other young teenagers in Brisbane to confront their own apprehensions toward change and the unknown.