Lurking Fear

Presenter: Katana Warren

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Department: Art

Funding Source/Sponsor: SYRCE Symposium

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1zzDm77SfVrglnjgios3e8liC3g_ZCiLp

Abstract:
Katana Warren

Lurking Fear, 2020

Water color, oil pastel, sharpie and charcoal on paper

In the 1970s horror films were taking a new outlook on ways to expose audiences to violence and fear. One of the most controversial types of horror was the rape-revenge genre. This genre exposed viewers to their worst fears of what can happen to women, as well as, spreading the message that violence leads to violence. Much of my research is centered around Wes Craven’s film, The Last House on the Left. The film’s basic plot is that two girls get raped and murdered by a gang, who end up staying the night in one of the victims ' homes. The rest of the film is about the family of the victim taking revenge on the criminals. By doing this the family loses their own values to revenge and become as bad as the murders. The movie not only exposed audiences to new levels of violence but also plays with fear in a way that makes the story feel more realistic. 

This mock movie poster is a reference to my research on the 1970s horror film rape-revenge genre. It depicts the scene of a woman in front of a locked door. I mixed a combination of dark eerie colors, such as the purple I use for the background and the scene itself in an attempt to portray the feeling of horror.  I use text to clarify the idea of the piece resembling a movie poster. The text on the poster, “It’s only reality…”, references the slogan of the film The Last House on the Left which used the slogan, “It’s only a movie...”. I wanted the context to be able to connect to the Rape-Revenge genre, while also connecting to fears that people are experiencing today. The poster is a reminder that, yes we are all feeling this fear of being trapped, but we do not necessarily have to lose ourselves and our values to that fear.