Katelyn Kopenhaver
Maire and I, 2025
Acrylic and Silkscreen Ink on Canvas
38"x50"
 
What Is Behind a Smile? is a series that questions what lies beneath a smile. In this diptych, my own smile is paired with that of Marie Antoinette, a figure reduced over time to excess, spectacle, and myth. Presented through tight cropping and grainy halftone, the two smiles drift away from history and toward one another, becoming sites of projection that reflect both the danger of becoming a symbol rather than a person and the fragility of image under the weight of collective judgment. By placing my smile first, I use the same systems that allow familiarity to arrive before understanding. When did you decide to trust this?