Behind The Seen addresses social constructs, which encourage us to define our experiences and appearance as good or not good in order to then fix and manipulate ourselves and our environments accordingly. The installation presents an opportunity to look at and uncover our personal truths by questioning what we see and think, our impulses, impressions and the conclusions we derive.
I’m interested in drawing from the beauty of nature and thought in relation to our attempts to control, maintain and present an identity which is, in essence, fleeting and ever changing. This ever-changing, evolving process occurs physically in these objects and their relationship to one another. Oftentimes, as I work, I envision bits of life, a torso, a tree, a wing, a wave or a cloud for instance, drawing on what I imagine beyond the studio walls but inherently know internally through memories, impressions and experiences. I build and saw apart my structures, over and over, cracking them open, adding materials and reconfiguring them to make anew. For me, this process physically reflects the continuum of life in every moment through deconstruction and transformation.
Where do our thoughts and these constructs come from? It seems we don’t consciously produce them; they seem to arise and express as a culmination of our opinions derived from perceived personal histories.... I find these to be compelling concepts to give form to. I’m curious about what the mind comes up with, thoughts that create feelings, drives, impulses and urges continually running in the background.
Behind The Seen is filled with objects hiding and revealing themselves – as are we - in plain sight.