Victims of Convenience

Shannon Meadows, 2024, Becoming, 36” x36”, oil on canvas

One of my school projects last year contemplated the frontier between the safety of the observer and the front lines of the revolution, highlighting the compromises needed to prosper within the system. 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. Women continue the fight for equal participation in society and in personal relationships. This work is about women who are used as victims of convenience by men shielding their sexual orientations from an unaccepting society. Silence and compliance are no longer possible, so I use oil painting as the language to examine power inequities and tear at the cultural packaging to expose what lies below.

In this body of work, I explore the phenomenon of the woman as the unwitting “beard” of her gay male husband. Beard is the colloquial term for a woman who, intentionally or otherwise, dates or marries a man to conceal his homosexuality.

I use collage studies for my oil paintings as a way to visualize the fragmented nature of incomplete, compartmentalized relationships. The surface of the paintings is constructed with deliberately layered colors and textures, retaining distinct shapes while leaving some areas blurry. My palette balances saturated hues with neutrals. Mark making from the exposed underpainting and traces of charcoal sketching create line and depth. Atmospheric shimmering emerges from strong and broken lines created from tools such as washes, rags, palette knives, and rollers. This rich paint handling and color construct the language I use to describe human struggles and my belief in personal resilience.

First published February 16, 2024