Art of Medicine
Jan 2017
Figure 1. Detail of Untitled
Caption
Untitled was created by Margeaux Gray at the age of 13 during her time at a residential facility, prior to telling anyone about her abuse or that she was a victim of trafficking.
Analysis
This piece, which Margeaux Gray describes as a journal entry, is a raw, rare, and brave glimpse into suffering—a painful peering into a quiet self-loathing. The “x” crosses out, negates, appears to be constricting the hand. Gray explains she doesn’t know her own hand: “mine, I guess.” Disassociating from the body is likely a self-protective measure. Here she describes simply what she is able to see and feel: sadness, guilt.
Figure 2. Detail of Universal Light, Nurture and Nursing
Caption
Universal Light, Nurture and Nursing is a recent piece about which the artist states, “In my darkest moments, I saw a universal light.” She uses found objects in her art to remind the viewer of the beauty and value of people our society might disregard or undervalue, among them victims of abuse, victims of human trafficking, and people with disabilities.
Analysis
There is a power that only some people know. It comes from an unimaginable darkness. Margeaux Gray’s abstraction speaks to the magic of artistic alchemy, in which discarded fragments are brought beautifully whole by merging a painterly, expressive quality. In a sense, Gray is symbolically putting the pieces back together through the work.
