Consciousness 

Rose O’Neill created this artwork titled, 'Consciousness' using a monochrome palette, where shades of grey and black intertwine to create an atmosphere thick with psychological tension. The composition is dominated by a central face emerging from swirling, undefined forms that evoke feelings of unease and introspection. The faces are rendered with stark intensity. Its gaze, piercing and somewhat accusatory, confronts the viewer directly, challenging our own sense of self-awareness. The artist uses dense, almost chaotic lines to construct the surrounding shapes, suggesting a mindscape in turmoil. The figures, seemingly struggling to break free, may symbolize the constraints and conflicts inherent in human thought. O’Neill's mark-making is reminiscent of surrealist automatism, which sought to express the subconscious without rational control. The form destabilizes fixed meanings, inviting us to question the boundaries between reality and perception, and the conscious and unconscious. This piece serves not just as a visual representation but as an exploration of the very nature of consciousness itself.