UK-based artist Susan Merrick is a woman of many talents. In addition to her work as a doula, Merrick produces oil paintings, book illustrations, and "bump" art. While I do enjoy her oeuvre in general, what intrigues me the most is the art she creates using makeup.
Last summer Merrick embarked on a street art project, making a portrait of a pregnant woman using only cosmetics. Her goal was to question what we put on our skin.
Her inspiration for the project came from a somewhat unsettling place: new recommendations from the Royal College of Obstreticians and Gynaecologists (an organization akin to our American version) vaguely advising women to be more aware of skincare and cosmetic ingredients, and reducing their use during pregnancy. In an article for The Mother Magazine, Merrick notes that this "raised many questions…whether the recommendation was necessary, if it was underplayed or overplayed and what is actually known/reported about the ingredients of cosmetics." She added, "For me personally it raised the issue that regardless of pregnancy, I should be aware of what am I putting on my skin everyday! I realised that with or without clear research, perhaps we should be paying more attention to what chemicals we are exposing ourselves to." Indeed! Admittedly I never look at ingredients except for skincare, and that's just because I want to see what the concentration of active ingredients is – I'm not looking for potentially harmful things. Anyway, I thought that the street art project was an excellent way to bring attention to what we're slathering on ourselves every day. It also led to some other interesting projects, like going makeup-free for a month (you can check out her detailed experiences at her blog – definitely worth reading) and using up some of her old products to create more makeup paintings.
I love how she manipulates the makeup to mimic acrylic – in this way cosmetics and paint are interchangeable. And in the portrait below, the notion of painting one's face becomes literal.
Merrick will also now be able to add entrepreneur to her ever-growing list of work titles, as the above painting is available at her Etsy shop as a print. (There's more on the way so keep your eyes peeled!)
What do you think of Merrick's work? Do you read cosmetic labels or avoid certain ingredients?