The Green Room

My piece of artwork is a visual representation of the birthing scene, from The Handmaid’s Tale. When first reading the scene something that instantly stood out to me was the heavy description used by Offred. I sought out to create something visually overwhelming, while keeping the piece consistent, mirroring the overstimulating yet repetitive nature of the scene.

When Offred began this scene by detailing the senses, I immediately thought that it would be the perfect scene to represent with a 3D room modeling. On page 123, Offred says, “The smell is of our own flesh, an organic smell.” When reading this, I attributed the word organic to natural, both of which resonate with the color green, which is where I got the idea to make the whole room one color, as smell travels - filling every inch of the room, unable to be escaped. Another quote that backs up my reasoning for the use of the color green comes a bit later in the scene when Offred describes the deep entwinement the women in the room have with one another; “We think we will burst. We grip each other’s hands, we are no longer single.” I was particularly intrigued by the maternal connection between the Handmaidens. Even though Offred and the other women aren’t the ones giving birth, she still describes it as though she can feel nearly everything Janine (the woman who is going through labor) is feeling. This made me begin thinking about said connection and how these women in this scene are being painted as the root of all creation - this birthing scene not only represents a new life but the power shared amongst all of the women responsible for the creation of life. This for me was a further connecting point to the color green, as this maternal connection amongst the room is something natural, and therefore can be represented by this earthy color. Similarly to the effect of the smell in the room, I felt as though the maternal connection also existed everywhere around the room, inescapable.

Lastly, I decided to add a few smaller details to round out my modeling of the scene. I included a crumpled up bloody sheet in the corner, which is mentioned two different times in relation to the description of the room, giving it extra prevalence to me. The sheet not only adds to the overstimulation of the senses - contributing to the smell and visuals - but also represents the beginning of the birth from when the water broke. I also decided to include the tray of juice that is brought by one of the Marthas on page 124. I was particularly interested in the way every one of the Handmaids was involved in the passing of the paper cup. It would have been easy to just skip right to Janine, yet the book made a point to tell the reader that the cup passes down the line of all the women before reaching its intended possessor. I drew a small infinity on the floor surrounding the small tray to emphasize the importance of the connection between these women, and how they rely on energy from each other during this intense moment to get through it.