Willpower 2018

Kayla Mahaffey created this piece, Willpower, using dynamic colors and mark making techniques, probably in the 21st century. I’m really drawn to the way Mahaffey layers textures and colors. The kid's helmet, reflecting a city skyline, is rendered with a slick, almost glossy finish, while the face has a matte, grounded quality. This contrast isn't just about technique; it’s like the artist is showing us different sides of the same story, the kid's internal world and external reality all at once. Look at the intense gaze in the boy's eyes. It's surrounded by all these cartoony figures, and the way he's set against this almost psychedelic backdrop makes me think about the tension between innocence and experience, or inner strength and outside pressures. There's something so honest and raw about how these elements collide, like an invitation to engage with the complexities of being. It reminds me of Trenton Doyle Hancock. And that's the real magic of art, right? It's never about having all the answers, but about embracing the questions.