Birthday Party from the collection of South Carolina Arts Commission

Discovery

Cecile L.K. Martin
Birthday Party, 1977
watercolor painting
13.5 x 20.5 in
Signature: titled and numbered 10/30 on lower left; signed and dated on lower right

This painting reads on different levels. Initially, the viewer might respond to the bright colors and obvious bric-a-brac of a child’s birthday party and come away thinking he has seen a “nice” happy painting. We he to consider carefully he would notice that these are not happy faces of “nice” children. This is a painting of children who frightened me when I was a very small – of situations that I found confusing or threatening (hence the over abundance of pattern). This is a painting of mayhem about to happen… fear at a child’s level – (explanation: when you’re an army brat, and very mobile as a child, you are often invited and delivered to parties where you recognize no one… when you’re small that’s scary…).”

Collections: South Carolina Arts Commission State Art Collection

See all artwork from South Carolina Arts Commission

The mission of the South Carolina Arts Commission is to promote access to the arts and support the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina. We envision a South Carolina where the arts are valued and all people benefit from a variety of creative experiences.

A state agency created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the SCAC works to increase public participation in the arts through grants, direct programs, staff assistance and partnerships in artist development, arts industry, arts learning, creative placemaking, and folklife and traditional arts. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the SCAC is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts, and other sources.

South Carolina Arts Commission

Columbia, South Carolina