Sophie Cage: Under the Influence
Artist Statement
Both Seek Change and Consumed are charcoal works that examine the tension between autonomy and external control, particularly surrounding beauty standards and identity. The first is a
carefully constructed still life, while the second draws from combined photographic imagery. In both, symbolic details represent authority
and influence, forces that guide, reshape, and at times distort the body and mind. Together, the pieces blur the line between choice and pressure, questioning how identity can be reclaimed in a culture defined by invisible standards. Seek Change explores how society treats beauty as a modern day religion. Physical appearance is elevated to something sacred, pursued, measured, and equated with worth. The piece reflects on the pressure to attain this ideal and how it shapes self-image, relationships, and the quiet rituals performed to feel enough. Charcoal’s raw, smudging nature mirrors the fragility of self
perception and how it can shift from soft gradients to harsh contrasts, echoing the seductive promise of perfection and the sharp judgment that follows.
Consumed focuses on the transition into college life and the tension between growth and self-loss. What appears celebratory can become overwhelming, as reinvention slowly fractures into
performance and expectation. The pursuit of belonging and happiness can blur into quiet self-destruction. This work questions how much of identity is truly self-defined and how much is shaped by the pressures we absorb.
About the Project
- Title of Work: Under the Influence
- Medium: two 24' x 18' charcoal composites to display on wall with frames
- Student's Name: Sophie Cage
- Major: Psychological Studies and Art
- Anticipated Graduation Date: 29-May
- Hometown: Orange County, California
- Student's Mentor: Angela Shaffer
- Mentor's Department: Art
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