Kirsten Rae Simonsen "Welcome to the Pleasure Dome"

Kirsten Rae Simonsen (HI)

Welcome to the Pleasure Dome
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on hot pressed paper
22 x 30 in plus white metal frame
ready to hang

"These paintings are partially about sexual abuse memories I have had as the Epstein Files continue to trickle out. The plants above the two rabbits in the first painting are datura, and the plants below the rabbit in the second painting are datura pods. The Datura flower, or “Devil’s Trumpet,” is also referred to as “Devil’s Breath,” jimsonweed, and thorn apple. Datura is found in all warmer climates. It has been used in traditional medicine and was often seen as a sacred hallucinogenic plant in India. All parts of the plant are toxic and it can cause hallucinations, delirium, and disorientation that lasts for weeks. At higher doses, it can be fatal. In the Epstein files, emails to Epstein allegedly suggest that Epstein may have been growing this plant or was considering growing it. It appears to have been recommended to Epstein because it causes loss of memory and can “remove free will,” as one email says. Some victims and perpetrators have suggested that he was already intentionally growing it on the island. I included poisonous plants in these works intentionally."

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