graphite, color pencil; 20×16″
“People have always felt there is deeper meaning when a teen abuses substances. There are many reasons why someone becomes “drug dependent” and how it is a negative coping mechanism. My piece is a distorted image of a teenage girl who looks to be in a daze. There are 3 colored details: a ribbon, a table, and a miniature doll. The doll displays control and how drugs manipulate you constantly. A glass of water filled to the brim is not colored; it represents stability. The girl cannot drink the water due to the ribbon holding her back; it is a simplified portrayal of how drugs restrain you. I have many of my peers and friends who have experienced addiction to substances.”
ARTIST BIO: Cierra AUGUSTINE is a grade 11 student at Butler Tech School of Art studying art under art teacher Mary Catherine Ruby.