The Front Lines of the Revolution

Shannon Meadows, 2023, People Will Think

My work contemplates the frontier between the safety of the observer and the frontlines of the revolution. In evolving from a lengthy career as a technology executive, required to go along to get along within the business world, I find myself now wanting to speak out. This work is about gender inequities in corporate and personal relationships where women are denigrated for the benefit of men. Silence and compliance are no longer possible, so I tear at the cultural packaging to expose what lies below.

Mark making from ink, paint and myriad tools reflects my own experiences and the emotional anguish and absurdity found in these relationships. Reference material is based on generic images used for corporate marketing and training, emphasizing incongruity. Collage elements of fabric and paper establish a shape-based language of impersonal and fragmented human interaction. Though my work highlights power disparities, the colorful palette and patterns carry an undercurrent of optimism and my belief in personal resilience in the face of adversity.

First published January 23, 2024