the worst pain
11″ x 14″ mixed media
i don’t cry
11″ x 14″ mixed media
i’m a little pissed off
11″ x 14″ mixed media
you made him feel
11″ x 14″ mixed media
i should have stopped
11″ x 14″ mixed media
Artist Statement:
The five featured works are part of a series, the things you said. I created this series during a four-week period in 2021 in an attempt to come to terms with a progression of texts and conversations that occurred over a five-month span. These pieces, collectively, explore the emotional and psychological consequences of power imbalances in human relationships. In their juxtaposition of image and text, they reference other works and experiences of mine, showing how such phenomena intersect with and affect the broader, multilayered lived experience.
Sydney Heifler (pronouns: she/they) is a queer poet based in Columbus, OH. She uses poetry to explore and reconstruct memory. She is also a graduate of the MSt in Women’s Studies from the University of Oxford and is currently working on her Ph.D. in history at the Ohio State University, focusing on the visual representation of women in post-war popular media. You can follow Sydney and find more of their art on Instagram (@sydneyheiflerart) and Twitter (@romancecomicbks).