MFA Thesis Exhibiton
My work contemplates the experience of the bereaved. In the intimate spaces of home, every object and space is a reminder of the deceased. Feelings of longing and sorrow resonate with those left behind. Beginning with my own experience with death in my family, I express the aftermath of tragedy in the home.
My work is strongly affected by nostalgic feelings connected to my Mid-Western upbringing. As I reflect on this place where my family was once whole, I compulsively make objects in order to repair and restore what has been lost. Repetitive elements and processes express a sense of time and a desire to reconcile with a long-distant past. Fueled by a fear of forgetting, the laborious stitching, twisting, and tying of materials record my efforts to hold onto the deceased.
A compelling presence of past events is evoked through the combination of personal items and a raw use of material. Wax and salt freeze objects in order to preserve the items. In contrast, the rustic metal suggests corrosion and decay. My work transforms feelings of grief and longing into sculptural forms that relate to the body, the original site of the trauma. References to clothing, jewelry, and tissues present grief as a burden taken on by the body. The objects I create provoke awareness and understanding of the experience of the bereaved in an effort to convey the trials of personal loss and the struggle for resilience in its wake.