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People In Hell Want Ice Water

People In Hell Want Ice Water
By Lauren Lyon
People In Hell Want Ice Water, Digital Collage By Lauren Lyon

Artist Statement

“This work explores the idea of coveted snacks. As a child in a poor household, these are some of the things I wanted the most, but never had, as my family could barely afford essentials, much less expensive snacks. This distorted my perception of their value and I began to see them as great treasures. This perception still sticks with me today as an adult.

This collage is based on the perceived value I had (and still have) of certain foods I coveted as a child. My family was not often able to buy these foods because they were expensive and nonessential, so naturally I started to see them as treasures of great value that only the rich could afford, because I was just a child who really wanted those $6 fruit snacks. Included is a phrase I became all too familiar with at every visit to the grocery store.

I am a 21 year old artist from the Midwest with a history of struggles with food quality and access as a child. As a result, I view certain foods in strange ways since becoming an adult with more open accessibility to buy the things that I want.”