WorkArt & Culture

Star-Spangled Psyche: Painting series explores the minds of American Millennials

Morgan Granoski is a studio artist and graphic designer from Memphis, Tennessee. Having recently earned her BFA from Christian Brothers University, with a focus in Graphic Design, she began her current body of work, Star-Spangled Psyche, as part of her BFA showcase.

Written By:
Collage featuring a red, white and blue popsicle on a turquoise background, a dark starry hand, and a faceless female figure with a red censorship bar across her eyes

The painting series explores the minds of American Millennials – their values, attitudes, and the way in which they communicate. A Millennial herself at only 22 years old, much of Granoski’s work is influenced by her own personal experiences of being a young female in America.

She explains: "More specifically, this series examines the way in which teenagers and young adults are pressured by American media through various avenues to fit into heteronormative gender roles, and how it inherently affects the way in which males and females view themselves and interact with one another."

The artist uses symbols such as cars and tools to poke fun at what it means to 'be a man'. Faceless female figures appear to be shameful of their exposed bodies, but at the same time seem oblivious to the viewer's gaze.

Video game controllers and smart phones emphasise the generation's reliance on technology as a form of impersonal communication, entertainment, and instant gratification. Shades of red, white and blue dominate the pieces, giving the otherwise moody pieces an inviting facade while also reinforcing the overarching theme: American Youth.

Now living in San Antonio, Texas, Granoski works as a graphic designer while continuing to expand the Star-Spangled Psyche series with a southwestern aesthetic, inspired by her new surroundings.

Discover more at morgangranoski.weebly.com.

Via direct submission | All images courtesy of Morgan Granoski

Collage featuring a sketch of hands holding a tool on dark background, lipsticks on a turquoise bar, red brushstroke, and a woman's legs emerging from a white vintage car against a pink background
Collage artwork featuring a yellow banana outline, blue line drawing of a female figure, hands holding a smartphone with blank screen against a red background, and a circular dial with days of the week and "NOW" marked on it
Pop art style portrait of a young woman in blue tones alongside green stars, red tools and partial sketches on cream background
Collage-style artwork featuring clothesline with patterned undergarments, stacked turquoise shapes, illustrated female figure in black skirt, and photographs of hands on blue and red backgrounds
Share

Further Reading