密歇根新闻广播 卡斯走廊艺术家72岁黑暗作品终获认可

Michigan-raised artist Brenda Goodman is happy. That's because she's finally getting steady recognition from the art world, after years of rejection¹. This year Goodman won a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Goodman's "Self-Portrait 59"

The 72-year-old thinks part of the reason she's becoming more well-known is because people are sharing her artwork on social media sites, which helps her reach new audiences.

Goodman was born and raised in Detroit and was part of the Cass Corridor art movement in the 1970s. These days, Goodman lives in upstate New York.

Brenda Goodman's paintings are intense.

Goodman painted how she felt in "Self-Portrait 2"

Some of her most powerful paintings are self-portraits where ghoulish figures stuff their mouths with food. She painted them at a time when she was struggling with her weight.

And she tells Michigan Radio's Kyle Norris that they weren't even meant to be people, but rather, monsters.

"I had no intention of making them actually look like me. I wanted to make them feel like me. There's a big difference. I felt monstrous² like that, ugly like that, angry like that, repulsed³ like that. And that's all communicated in those paintings."

She says painting helps her survive.

"It's my way of resolving whatever's going on in my life. I paint it. Mind you, I had 15 or more years of therapy and was on different spiritual paths throughout my life. So I've always delved⁴ into who I am and not been afraid to look at the darker parts of myself."

Artist Brenda Goodman says art matters because we need it for our souls.

She says many artists are afraid to go to those dark places, and instead paint nice, pleasant, and recognizable images. But Goodman says her willingness to dig deep makes her work full and real, and that's the reason it resonates with people.

This one's called "Not a Leg to Stand On"

1 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

2 monstrous   

adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的

参考例句：

• The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升，形成了一个巨大的烟柱。
• Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人！

3 repulsed   

v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝

参考例句：

• I was repulsed by the horrible smell. 这种可怕的气味让我恶心。
• At the first brush,the enemy was repulsed. 敌人在第一次交火时就被击退了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 delved   

v.深入探究，钻研( delve的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She delved in her handbag for a pen. 她在手提包里翻找钢笔。
• He delved into the family archives looking for the facts. 他深入查考这个家族的家谱以寻找事实根据。 来自《简明英汉词典》