The work I engaged in was a small series of designs painted on the bonnet and side of my car. The works became experiments in erasure of unwanted art and resuming control after it was forcibly removed during an act of vandalism. Spray paint and paint markers formed the medium of my work. While a simple graphic design is a simplified visual outcome on the bonnet and two free hand designs is on the side, the emotional outcome is intense.
When my car was tagged originally, the severity of fear instilled within me was high. All feelings of safety, security were eliminated along with any ability to self-determine my future. However, in taking back control via converting an unfortunate event into statement art piece, I have performed an act of defiance, subverting the original intention of the taggers piece – fear and loss of control, anger and mistrust – into a work that conveys my personality and my interest. Throughout the process I slowly transformed from strict and controlling using a lot of stencils and masking tape in the bonnet piece, evolving into two freehand designs, backgrounds of gold spray paint with the marker outline of a rabbit and my nickname on the side.
Thanks to the empowerment in my defiant act, I have been able to turn my boring white car into a work of art I am very proud of.  I am looking forward to adding more experimental designs to it in the future. While paint is certainly not my forte, textiles is, and so the depiction of a vintage sewing machine on my bonnet and a rabbit with my nickname on the side are all perfectly suited to my personality. The fun I had painting my car, something which I am “devaluing” according to others is nothing compared to the sense of satisfaction I achieved from regaining control of my little world.
