BFA Thesis
Artist Statement
I am interested in perceptions of the body and our interaction with the world, which I associate with the objects we use. I utilize the found object as a historical rendering that suggests the credibility of my fabricated additions. The meticulous nature of the work is both my own practice of technique and an attempt to honor the craftsmanship of that particular time period.
The objects that I find myself drawn to include: memorial jewelry, lockets, portrait miniatures, photographs, vanity items, and textiles. Compacts, jewelry, and vanity items are ideal for the work as they imply intimate interaction with the body in terms of both touch and use because of their small scale and personal nature. I use the compact in reference to Victorian society's ritualistic practices that influenced dress and perceptions of beauty. The nature of the compact also implies a sensitive interaction between the object and user.
I search for found objects that display some unique characteristic that exhibit use or previous ownership. I particularly enjoy monograms because they provide clues as to the owner of the object and emphasize human connection with the object, which provokes my investigation. The monogram also is meant to make the viewer aware that they are being shown an object that belonged to someone else, and evoke a need for sensitive handling.
I am also strongly influenced by mourning jewelry, which I admire for its ability to convey beauty, sorrow, pain, and devotion in such a minute scale. Mourning jewelry's associations with the body both in terms of adornment and frequent containment of bodily material such as hair makes them both strikingly beautiful and yet repulsive. In Victorian times they were admirably meant to commemorate devotion and loss.
The miniature portraiture of the era that were created as personal reminders of affection inspire the work with their infused sincerity. I associate cameos, though exquisitely beautiful, with the idealized portrayal of outer beauty rather than inner thoughts. Along these lines, the eternal battle between inner and outer beauty is played out in my anatomical cameos. Working with the interior and exterior of the body, I create visceral cameos that are beautiful despite their gruesome imagery. The cameo glass process references dissection as the form is exposed through the carving of layers. Cameo glass has similar properties to the traditional shell used for cameo portraits and was a common decorative technique.
My work also involves the photograph, which gives us the ability to freeze a visual moment in time for the purpose of looking back and remembering. They evoke a nostalgic curiosity regardless of whether or not the viewer has a personal connection with the photograph's subject. Though Victorian portrait photography is very stoic in nature, children's photographs of the period display an innocence and honesty that I find compelling. The specific photographs that I use for my work depict children with outward distant gazes. Referencing trick photography and Victorian obsession with the spiritual realm, I edit the image by adding my own portraits of apparitions. The engraving process is ideal for this type of imagery because by elaborating on the space between the photograph and the glass, I can make the apparition's portrait seem to float as an extension of the original image. Glass in this instance enhances an optic illusion and allows the creation of ghost-like imagery through the traditional process of engraving, typical of the era.
My work is meant to trigger the viewer's memory through historical allusions to ritual, culture, and perceptions of beauty. By creating objects that juxtapose the "familiar" with dissonant or disturbing imagery, my work often results in a double-take on the part of the audience. I make objects that entice the viewer to investigate each closely and draw conclusions based on their own personal histories and memories.
I am interested in perceptions of the body and our interaction with the world, which I associate with the objects we use. I utilize the found object as a historical rendering that suggests the credibility of my fabricated additions. The meticulous nature of the work is both my own practice of technique and an attempt to honor the craftsmanship of that particular time period.
The objects that I find myself drawn to include: memorial jewelry, lockets, portrait miniatures, photographs, vanity items, and textiles. Compacts, jewelry, and vanity items are ideal for the work as they imply intimate interaction with the body in terms of both touch and use because of their small scale and personal nature. I use the compact in reference to Victorian society's ritualistic practices that influenced dress and perceptions of beauty. The nature of the compact also implies a sensitive interaction between the object and user.
I search for found objects that display some unique characteristic that exhibit use or previous ownership. I particularly enjoy monograms because they provide clues as to the owner of the object and emphasize human connection with the object, which provokes my investigation. The monogram also is meant to make the viewer aware that they are being shown an object that belonged to someone else, and evoke a need for sensitive handling.
I am also strongly influenced by mourning jewelry, which I admire for its ability to convey beauty, sorrow, pain, and devotion in such a minute scale. Mourning jewelry's associations with the body both in terms of adornment and frequent containment of bodily material such as hair makes them both strikingly beautiful and yet repulsive. In Victorian times they were admirably meant to commemorate devotion and loss.
The miniature portraiture of the era that were created as personal reminders of affection inspire the work with their infused sincerity. I associate cameos, though exquisitely beautiful, with the idealized portrayal of outer beauty rather than inner thoughts. Along these lines, the eternal battle between inner and outer beauty is played out in my anatomical cameos. Working with the interior and exterior of the body, I create visceral cameos that are beautiful despite their gruesome imagery. The cameo glass process references dissection as the form is exposed through the carving of layers. Cameo glass has similar properties to the traditional shell used for cameo portraits and was a common decorative technique.
My work also involves the photograph, which gives us the ability to freeze a visual moment in time for the purpose of looking back and remembering. They evoke a nostalgic curiosity regardless of whether or not the viewer has a personal connection with the photograph's subject. Though Victorian portrait photography is very stoic in nature, children's photographs of the period display an innocence and honesty that I find compelling. The specific photographs that I use for my work depict children with outward distant gazes. Referencing trick photography and Victorian obsession with the spiritual realm, I edit the image by adding my own portraits of apparitions. The engraving process is ideal for this type of imagery because by elaborating on the space between the photograph and the glass, I can make the apparition's portrait seem to float as an extension of the original image. Glass in this instance enhances an optic illusion and allows the creation of ghost-like imagery through the traditional process of engraving, typical of the era.
My work is meant to trigger the viewer's memory through historical allusions to ritual, culture, and perceptions of beauty. By creating objects that juxtapose the "familiar" with dissonant or disturbing imagery, my work often results in a double-take on the part of the audience. I make objects that entice the viewer to investigate each closely and draw conclusions based on their own personal histories and memories.
