Shifts in our Constellation(s)
Date
2022-05
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Abstract
My painting practice is an act of mourning. Mourning is a necessary externalization of the internalize grief that everyone will face, perhaps continuously face, during their life time. Mourning of the decease presents a way of not only healing, but also the extension of the life of the deceased. We can find connection through objects and photos as they possess a spiritual power, seen across many cultures. The object’s ability to conjure someone’s presence through memories can provide relief. However, no matter the connection or the collection, these objects or photos will still leave us longing for the physical, real thing. Through my painting practice I seek to represent the magic qualities of these objects, and to speak to their abstract and spiritual nature. Memories are captured in a photo and the remnants of the photo are translated into paint which furthers the act of memorialization and of mourning. The painting of photos and objects has produced a series of repeated motifs which has turned into my personal lexicon of symbols for life, death, and late loved ones. By embedding these symbols into my paintings I can summon late loved ones and talk about these broader topics such as our mortality. The the installation of works emulates a family photos walls, and turned into a space for remembrance. Though I will always be searching for something that I will never totally understand, I have found home and connection in this body of work that allows me to still communicate and behold those who are gone.
Description
Thesis completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Fine Arts degree in the School of Art and Design at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, NY.
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Thesis
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Keywords
MFA thesis, Painting, Painting, Abstract, Installations (Art)