Holy Cow
By Sophia Hou
Artist’s Statement: Holy Cow
My work was inspired by a discussion in my English class, where we studied The Great Gatsby and its portrayal of the hollowness beneath wealth; the moral decay, the carelessness, and the empty, futile pursuit of status. One idea that stayed with me for a long time was the novel’s fixation on excessive materialism and overconsumption. I began to think about how this theme extends far beyond the Jazz Age, reshaping itself into new forms in our current society. I became interested in the tensions between consumerism and reverence: how we simultaneously worship objects and aesthetics while also consuming, discarding, and replacing them without thought. My piece responds to this contradiction. I wanted to explore the uncomfortable coexistence of value and disposability within our society. That’s what led me to the cow, painted in traditional acrylic paint as a symbol of organic life, but contrasted with the digital labels that encroach upon it. The mixed media format reflects the layered ways we interact with the world: the physical reality of the natural vs. the manufactured aspect of marketing and desire. In responding to the world, I was responding to the way we often look without seeing, want without knowing why. I want the viewer to reconsider the line between value and values. If the piece encourages a brief awareness of the system we participate in, then it has done what I intended.
Sophia Hou is a 16-year-old Maryland artist. When she's not painting, she enjoys baking and making music.
