Dad

Creator

Madeline Fournier, Ursinus College

Preview

Student Exhibition Year

2025

Description

Watercolor painting of a blue Porsche sports car, symbolizing the artist's father who is a mechanic. Presented as part of the 2025 Annual Student Exhibit in the Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College.

Dimensions

16 x 20 inches

Artist Statement

I want viewers to feel as if they have stepped into the world I am creating for myself. A boutique filled with ceramic fashion pieces, shoes, jewelry, and accessories. Alongside these objects are watercolor paintings, which I refer to as “portraits,” representing my parents through their professions. My parents are my foundation, shaping the person I am today and allowing me to pursue my dream of becoming a fashion designer.

Each ceramic piece merges elements of my parents’ careers with my own aspirations, symbolizing how my parents’ labor is intertwined in my identity. In this installation, physical attributes are left out. Instead, identity is conveyed only through professions and products of the work. By doing so, I critique how society often reduces us to what we do rather than who we are. Careers become our identity, leaving out the full complexity of the individual. This matters to me because as I work to build my own path, I see how easy it is to become defined by a title rather than by the whole of one’s experiences, values, and dreams. The boutique setup shows what my success can look like, and does so by blending business, art, and personal memories. Fashion pieces are typically soft and functional, but here they become fragile and untouchable. My brand name, “mof,” appears on each piece as a signature of identity and possession.

This installation shows how thankful I am for my parents’ support, but it also questions the way society connects our self-worth to our careers. As their portraits "watch over" me, I’m working on building a life that’s influenced by their dedication but also moves beyond the idea that work is the only thing that defines who we are.

I love you, Mom and Dad.

Rights Statement

Copyright of the underlying work is held by the artist. The digital image presented here is for educational purposes only and is not for commercial use.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.