You’re a Good Person Artist Statement

You’re a Good Person is personal and intimate. These phrases come from conversations that I imagine having with the people around me. What would I say to someone or what would I say for someone? Everyone has a store of unspoken thoughts in their mind. In mine, they’re screaming to get out.

When words are taken out of context, how do their meanings change? I paired my fragments with images that reflect various meanings. The viewer can apply their own meaning to the text but most importantly I hope these drawings encourage self-reflection. If someone said these phrases to you, what could they be referring to?

You’re a Good Person also refers to the current sentiment that has come to replace religion for many people in this generation. I hear people say it all the time: they’re not religious but they believe they will be rewarded just for being a good person in life. I think it’s a great, enlightened view of religion today. It can also be a total copout.

You’re a Good Person is the title of my first piece in the series. We say this to people and to ourselves, but what does it really mean? To me it’s an assumption we make about the people who are close to us. We like to think they are “good” people because we wouldn’t want to think that the people we’ve chosen to surround ourselves with are “bad.” So when we say, “you’re a good person” to someone, we’re projecting on them, trying to convince them it’s true.