The Bare Bones of Narcissism
My painting A Narcissistic Hover is part of my series titled The Inside Joke, an exploration of the emotional world shaped by narcissism. The series examines the narcissist, the people they target, and the deep psychological effects that unfold on both sides. In this piece I focus on the act known as the narcissistic hover. To express this dynamic I painted two figures walking together, one an innocent and grounded person and the other a skeleton dressed in black with its tongue out. The skeleton symbolizes the narcissist who drifts back into the lives of former partners or acquaintances, searching for validation and attention even long after a relationship has ended.
The behavior of hovering is a pattern in which the narcissist attempts to pull a former victim back into the cycle of control. It is rarely about real reconciliation but about regaining a sense of power and feeding an insecure inner child that never healed. People who hover may deliberately visit familiar places where they hope to be seen, engage with friends or family of the person they once hurt, or send sudden and vague messages that create confusion and emotional tension. Whether the attention they receive is positive or negative, it still serves as fuel for their fragile self image. To ignore them is to expose the fears and early wounds they work so hard to hide.
Narcissistic hovering can appear through grand promises, dramatic crises, guilt driven appeals, or even the display of a new partner in an attempt to provoke a reaction. These tactics fit into a larger pattern of manipulation that thrives on emotional instability and blurred boundaries. The best response is to maintain distance, stay grounded in clarity, and protect one’s well being. This painting seeks to capture that uneasy tension between innocence and predation, and to reveal the strange dance that occurs when past harm tries to reattach itself to the present.
#TheInsideJoke #ANarcissisticHover #ArtSeries #NarcissismExplored #ContemporaryArt #elvissantana #elvissantanaart #art #fineart
Prints and merchandise are available at our #RedBubble and various other stores (links in bio).
Did you enjoy these artworks? See the full album and more at our different sites and shops. Just click the link in our bio for more. Make sure to follow us for all our latest posts. Don't forget to share our page! ❤️
Private Collection
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/176647574?ref=studio-promote
IG: @elvissantanaart