Reflections on Space, my graduating MFA thesis show, was exhibited in the Grunwald Gallery in Bloomington, Indiana, from March 22–April 2, 2022. My work was hung alongside the work of nine other graduating MFAs.
Artist Statement — Reflections on Space
My focus on orientation is an examination of how we make sense of our place in the world. Orienting ourselves is something we do constantly — we understand ourselves and everything around us by reacting to experiences and by rethinking or reorienting ourselves where necessary.
My work is an investigation of space that aims to inspire active experiences of orientation.
In Reflections on Space I create distorted imagery and symbolic descriptions of space. The work draws on places that I have experienced and practiced imagination. It is in isolated experiences of place that I have been able to consider my being-in-the-world and the way that I orient myself physically and spiritually within a space. My process is a continuation of these experiences. Using sourced materials from the landscape such as soil, natural water, and berries, as well as personal items like coffee grounds and beets from my lunchbox, I soak rolls of film before developing them, distorting form and color. The symbols draw on theories of being-in-the-world and describe personal experiences of space.
For me, the process of working through imagery, materials, and language is one of orientation. For the viewer, I hope to spark curiosity and offer a designed space for orienting oneself and practicing imagination.