Internal Distortion by Elisabeth L. Roach

Author/Artist Name

• Elisabeth L. Roach, Murray State UniversityFollow
• Elisabeth Roach

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Spring 5-7-2026

Artist Statement

I want to make people uncomfortable with my art. I use drawing, photography, and 4D elements to create gross, distorted, and unsettling pieces that stir conflicting feelings within the viewer.  Inspired by Maria Lassnig's abstracted self-portraits, I distort my own image to convey my physical and emotional anguish. Using myself as the subject of the work allows me to express pains and lived experiences directly.

While most of my work is figurative, I prioritize texture, color, and contrast over form.  The resulting works are painterly and dramatic like those of Francisco Goya. They reveal the process of their making and embrace the beauty of imperfection by incorporating flaws like sketch lines, warped paper, and blurry photos.  Adding audio to the gory imagery heightens discomfort. In my piece Anguish, the sound of footsteps heighten the sense of dread and suspension in the piece.

Beauty and horror are not as opposite as many people believe, and horror art does not always equate to negative emotions. I take inspiration from movies like the original Evil Dead trilogy directed by Sam Raimi which focuses on the connections between fear and humanity. Horror art can be used as a tool for comfort and self-reflection. My use of body horror is inspired by artists like Mokumokuren whose masterful use of body horror expresses themes of human pain and connection.

Advisor/Mentor

April Webb, Cintia Segovia Figueroa, Dr. Antje Gamble, T. Michael Martin, Katie Knoeringer.

Description

My work varies in size from 14" x 11" canvases like in Writhing to drawings like Anguish that tower at 53" x 35.5". My body of work presented in Internal Distortion are primarily drawings, most are made of watercolor and colored pencil, but they often include an additional element like thread or knitted yarn. This textile element is shared with my photography piece Body which includes hanging embroidery floss. It, like most of my work, is pinned directly through the images with pins. A lot of my work also include an audio element that is shared by the QR codes placed below the label. Additionally, one of the pieces uses a project and the lights near it were dimmed to help make it more readasble.

The works delve into themes of pain, both physical and mental, and use the language of horror to depict them. They are all self-portraits, either literally or metaphorically. This allows me to use myself as the lens, to become the subject of the pain depicted. The work is intended to inspire catharsis instead of fear. In all the pieces adiences are invited to find a way to see themselves in the work, with all the pain and disgust they show.

Recommended Citation

Roach, Elisabeth L. and Roach, Elisabeth, "Internal Distortion by Elisabeth L. Roach" (2026). B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498). 169.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/169