Online school has taken away many opportunities from all students; from athletes to theater students, everyone has had something taken away from them. Student artists have had the ability to have their art displayed in the school taken away due to the virtual format of this school year. One of these artists is Isabella Frunzar, a junior here at OHS.
Frunzar has been constantly making art since about 7th grade, and up until recently mainly focused on colored pencil and oil paint.
“Those are the ones that were considered traditional and I could use those and get into art shows easily,” Frunzar said.
She has since gradually transitioned to more collage-based art as she gained skill because it allows for “more freedom of expression and interpretation,” according to Frunzar.
Frunzar has taken almost all of the art classes available here at OHS, and has found them beneficial in improving her artwork because of all the resources available and support from the teachers. Frunzar also finds time outside of school to work on her artwork and uses it as a way to express her thoughts and feelings on paper. She works to invoke both an emotional response from the viewer and spark up various political messages from her artwork.
This first piece is titled “Picker/Chooser.”
“It’s about how women have been picked and chosen what they can and cannot do and what rights they do and do not have throughout history,” Frunzar says.
The depictions of hands reaching out toward the female bodies furthers this theme of women being selected and controlled.
“It’s scarily becoming more prevalent today,” Frunzar adds. “Women’s rights are still a debate.”
“Trad Fire”, is the title of the second artwork shown.
Frunzar says that she “wanted to bring the idea of traditional femininity to the table as well as the idea that being feminine does not have to define who you are”.
Appearance is not everything but can be a great way to express yourself, and Frunzar wanted this piece to carry that message as a focal point.
This final work is titled, “Downfall Still Falling”, and features cut-up images of white leaders, monarchs, presidents, and government figures across time, along with flames.
The message behind this piece is to, “express how much of our government and views were brought up by racist, misogynistic, homophobic, problematic, white men,” Frunzar says.
Frunzar wanted to show how these ideals and mindsets that still exist today need to be reformed and changed.
“What better way to show that than a racist leader of mass genocide than up in flames” she stated.
Frunzar does not wish to pursue art as a career but always plans to keep it as a hobby and an outlet for emotion. Her artwork challenges gender norms, raises questions about the values of our society, and evokes such strong emotion. To support Frunzar and see more of her artwork you can follow her Instagram here, along with keeping an eye out for her pieces throughout the school!
Hello my name is Jasper and this is my second year writing for 42Fifty. I love getting to share my thoughts and opinions with the world through writing for the website. When I am not in school I like to sew and cosplay, attend concerts and anime conventions, and spend time with my friends!
