039 - Snakes in the Grass by Delaney O'Connell

I love the Dolly songs where she sings about the things that are too sad to talk about. We know that all the best stories involve going through an ordeal of some kind and emerging changed. But the most common, most devastating trials women face are seen as taboo, their stories seldom told. Dolly tells these stories beautifully- Down from Dover is my favorite of these devastating ballads. She can make anyone feel the darkest depths of human emotion, all while appearing to be a glittery Barbie doll. I named this painting Snakes in the Grass, a song about keeping your guard up. Snakes and bare chests appear in a lot of my art because the Original Sin story is on of being shamed. Dolly Parton refuses to be shamed and she spreads her gospel of self-worth through everything she does. 

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Delaney O'Connell is an artist and arts educators working in Durham Public Schools. She is interested in desire, excess and myth, and has shown work in Spain, Romania, and North Carolina. 

web: delaneyoconnell.com
insta: delaney_oc