Susanna Moller, Teeth Watercolors

This series of watercolor images by Susanna Moller explores the idea and depiction of the aging process. She has painted a variety of human body parts, which express the idea of age and decay through their form. The series of teeth are executed using vivid colors and the blotchiness of the watercolors to encapsulate the texture and appearance of a mouth that has begun to deteriorate. Each image provides the viewer with a different view of how the teeth and gums have eroded and decayed. Some of her paintings provide a more comprehensive view of the mouth while others focus more specifically on individual teeth or smaller sets of teeth. The majority of her images are representative of the true coloring and ware of a human’s teeth while a few of her images are painted in vivid blues, not representative of real life, but express more directly the process and time which occurs in aging. These paintings are relatively small and displayed in a group as a collection of gruesome documentations of age, decay, and discomfort. Although the images are relatively graphic in nature they are beautifully painted and the large variation in color, texture, and form create a series that entices the viewer to observe and study more closely.

The depictions of teeth that are most expressive are those that utilize the painter’s exquisite skill in color and textural relationships. Although there is a relatively consistent color palette being used and similar forms, each depiction of teeth (excluding the images of singular teeth) is engaging in a different way. The intense contrast between the saturated reds and yellows is attention grabbing and the ways in which one color delicately bleeds into another not only creates an interesting texture but also accurately expresses the unpredictable variance in texture and color which is innate to the teeth themselves. The use of rusty browns and varied intensity of blacks create a stark contrast to the white paper as well as the reds and yellows. The browns and blacks are very effective in encouraging a sort of disgust from the viewer, taking into account that browns and blacks are colors one would hope not to see in their own mouth. The color is useful in understanding the form of the teeth and their overlapping crooked placement. Bright reds are saturated near teeth embedded into the gums adding to the sensitivity of the way in which the images were painted and also evoking a feeling of a sensitive and throbbing mouth. The gums give the images context without an obvious depiction of human form and expression, they ground the teeth which otherwise would be floating in space of the white paper. This anonymous nature of the images can be thought of in multiple ways both creating a relationship with the viewer of inevitable age or a distance between the viewer and their relationship to the decay of the human form.

These works do a good job in engaging the viewer through their delicate yet vivid forms but also calling upon the viewers experience with discomfort and decay. They are depictions of what is inevitable to all living beings yet they are images which many individuals may find repulsive. The in depth view which is forced upon the viewer is much like that of medical illustrations or photos. They are detailed and specific to the forms and rot of a set of teeth yet they are produced in watercolor and retain the essence of being a piece of art. The series of blue teeth seem to contradict a lot of what has been accomplished in the other teeth paintings. They are engaging forms but are not as relatable to life experience. Their blue color and singularity take away a lot of the texture and depth, which is present in the other images, however, they do show a process that is not as apparent in the other paintings. The anonymous and grotesque nature of these teeth portraits references a fear of physical erosion and the deterioration of cosmetic beauty. It is easily relatable to a modern audience through this fact of retaining a truthful and documentary form in which many individuals can recognize and hope to experience only through the picture plane of these elegant images as opposed to a living experience of a mouth full of cavities.

-Jo Murray