Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
A quiet declaration of autonomy in a world that insists on ownership.
Not Yours to Keep explores the tension between personal freedom, possession, and the commodification of identity. Through stark black barcode imagery and a handwritten declaration, the work challenges the idea that a person can be claimed, categorized, or reduced to something that belongs to someone else.
The barcode—a familiar symbol of commercial value, identification, and exchange—becomes a visual metaphor for the ways individuals, particularly women, are assigned worth through external expectations. Against this rigid structure, the handwritten phrase not yours to keep introduces something intimate, human, and quietly defiant.
The restrained composition creates a deliberate contrast between the impersonal language of commerce and the deeply personal assertion of independence. Encased in resin, the familiar imagery becomes both preserved and challenged, inviting viewers to reconsider the boundaries between desire, possession, and self-determination.
Part of the artist's ongoing exploration of femininity, power, and cultural expectations, Not Yours to Keep is a reminder that being desired, valued, or loved does not mean being owned.
Details
Artist: Alissa Van Atta
Year: 2026
Medium: Collage, acrylic, and resin on wood
Artwork dimensions: 12 × 12 × 1 in
Framed dimensions: 13 × 13 × 1.5 in
Original, one-of-a-kind artwork
Signed by the artist
Price: $500
A quiet declaration of autonomy in a world that insists on ownership.
Not Yours to Keep explores the tension between personal freedom, possession, and the commodification of identity. Through stark black barcode imagery and a handwritten declaration, the work challenges the idea that a person can be claimed, categorized, or reduced to something that belongs to someone else.
The barcode—a familiar symbol of commercial value, identification, and exchange—becomes a visual metaphor for the ways individuals, particularly women, are assigned worth through external expectations. Against this rigid structure, the handwritten phrase not yours to keep introduces something intimate, human, and quietly defiant.
The restrained composition creates a deliberate contrast between the impersonal language of commerce and the deeply personal assertion of independence. Encased in resin, the familiar imagery becomes both preserved and challenged, inviting viewers to reconsider the boundaries between desire, possession, and self-determination.
Part of the artist's ongoing exploration of femininity, power, and cultural expectations, Not Yours to Keep is a reminder that being desired, valued, or loved does not mean being owned.
Details
Artist: Alissa Van Atta
Year: 2026
Medium: Collage, acrylic, and resin on wood
Artwork dimensions: 12 × 12 × 1 in
Framed dimensions: 13 × 13 × 1.5 in
Original, one-of-a-kind artwork
Signed by the artist
Price: $500