Date of Submission

Spring 2013

Academic Program

Studio Arts

Project Advisor 1

Laura Battle

Abstract/Artist's Statement

I am interested in providing viewers with a visually interesting, optical experience through patterning, repetition, multiples, systems and color in my work. My work has never been about the viewer connecting narratively with each piece. Creating art is a release for me, a time to escape from my daily life and to focus on formulating intricate systems and patterns that I find optically dazzling.

In an effort to bring new light to my work, I am trying to pull back from the obsessive nature of my work and push myself into unfamiliar arenas to see how I respond. My efforts for perfection in the patterns and systems that I enjoy so much were suffocating and slowing down my work. The pieces were becoming more burdensome in process and less interesting in concept. My resolution to this problem has been to work with less planning and with materials that prevent me from starting over again to make something perfect. The use of spray paint, oil-based markers and other more permanent mediums has allowed me to work more intuitively with a piece. Instead of letting the plan and the patterns rule the work, I am forcing myself to work with the “permanent” marks that I put down and find resolution in the ones that challenge me. I am thinking less about the final product and my work is becoming less predictable, beginning with a loose plan, and moving with the painting instead of against it, instead of forcing it to be exactly what I want it to be. Through these changes in process, I began to be able to incorporate narrative, something that has never previously been a part of my work.

This body of work is not only about creating optical experiences, but also about communication. I wanted to communicate and assert myself to viewers through my work, but was uncomfortable doing so in an obvious way. I didn’t necessarily want the viewer to be able to recognize and respond to images or messages immediately. I began by thinking about forms of communication that have to be decoded, such as sound waves and Morse code. I am intrigued by the fact that despite hearing and seeing sound waves and Morse code, it is not immediately apparent what the messages are, that the average person cannot easily discern the messages. I wanted to stop hiding behind the patterns, behind the systems and put some meaning into the work. My intent is not to necessarily convey a specific or recognizable message to viewers, but to provide a visually interesting experience for them and at the same time, express myself, even if in a cloaked manner, with secret messages, censoring, and hidden images.

I’m not asking the viewer to understand or relate, only to experience and to take what they may from each piece.

Distribution Options

Access restricted to On-Campus only

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Download

This work is protected by a Creative Commons license. Any use not permitted under that license is prohibited.

Bard Off-campus Download

Bard College faculty, staff, and students can login from off-campus by clicking on the Off-campus Download button and entering their Bard username and password.

Share

COinS