Becoming Maleficent: Art

Art

Solley, Cat. Wing. 2014. Acrylic, Mixed Media. N.p.

This piece of art, Wing, represents the heroine's journey that Maleficent travels. In the background of the painting are the original lyrics from the song presented in this blog, The Pretender by the Foo Fighters. The lyrics "not like the others" is a testament to Maleficent having the desire to stand out and stand up for herself. She is not like the other fairies in the Moors, nor is she like other girls who may have fallen apart under similar circumstances. The shimmery gray color throughout the artwork gives off the mood of the painting, clouded yet hopeful. The circular shape lends itself to the path along the heroine's journey, not unlike Dorothy's yellow brick road from Wizard of Oz. The jewels underneath the feathers represent the glimmer of hope momentarily shrouded underneath the feathered wing. The white feathers represent Maleficent's innocence and purity. The twisted metal into a single red feather signifies the agonizing pain from the removal of Maleficent's precious wings. The black tar feathers represent the darkness that encompasses Maleficent's heart when she seeks vengeance. The green swirls demonstrate her magic, as seen in the movie, that work both for evil when she casts the sleeping spell, and for good as she uses the magic to protect the child as she is growing up. The various fairytale elements tell more of her story, the clocks signify Aurora's impending death sleep on her sixteenth birthday, the sword represents the battles Maleficent faces, a symbol of true loves kiss from mother to child is placed along the journey, as well as hearts that are symbols of love. The sparkling white jewels are the path to redemption, which lead to the book with the silver wings, and the final stage of Maleficent's journey, where she is resurrected and is able to write her own story.