Touch

 

Trypophobia

Plastilina

3in x 2in x 2in

"But above all, touch teaches us that life has depth and contour, it makes our sense of the world and ourself three-dimensional."

Excerpt from Diane Ackerman's Natural History of Senses [section]: The Skin Has Eyes

Artist Statement

This piece represents the idea from the statement that touch teaches us about life and further pushes our sense of the world. When reading the excerpt, my initial thought was "what about our fear of touch?". Yes, touch teaches us about the world in a three-dimensional sense, but it also teaches us about ourselves. This piece focuses on the fear of touch, and thus the fear of the world. The collection of small holes and craters are meant to focus not just on contour, but create a sense of discomfort. 

Dragonfly Tattoos

Ink on paper

10in x 11in

"Ultimately, tattoos make unique the surface of one's self, embody one's secret dreams, adorn with magic emblems the Altamina of the flesh."

Excerpt from Diane Ackerman's Natural History of Senses [section]: Tattoos

Artist Statement

Tattoos are used to further express our internal identity on a more physical level. Tattoos are widely seen and used in hundreds of cultures to symbolize different ideas, identities, and beliefs. In our western society, tattoos have become less taboo, and more people are beginning to appreciate their art. This piece is meant to represent the beauty, elegance, and artistic nature of tattoos and tattoo designs. Whether people believe it or not, tattoos and tattooing is an art form just like painting, drawing, and sculpture.

Wrapped Human Body Final

 

Rebirth

    This project is meant to represent the theme of rebirth and growth. As human beings, we are not devoid of rebirth and growth, we change all the time. We grow as people all the time both in the physical sense of our bodies, and in the figurative sense of our identities. When I think of the term rebirth, I connect it with nature. The way a flower blooms, a caterpillar changes into a butterfly, or how new growth emerges after a forest fire. Specifically in this piece the white cloth represents the blank canvas and endless possibilities one has to change themselves. The grey cloth symbolizes that change is happening for the figure. I specifically chose to devoid the figure of any recognizable human features such as arms or legs because in the end after our transformations we are all unrecognizable. The figure is wrapping itself around the tree and interacting with the flowers in a way that connects the figure's rebirth to nature. This is not a mechanical or manmade rebirth such as when one dyes their hair o paints their nails, it is a natural one.

Paper Architecture

 

   An exploration in the use of paper and glue, and architectural sculpture was created with the use of folds, creases, and glue. Shapes feature cylinders, pyramids, cubes, rectangular prisms, and beans, as well as shapes with a recessed area.

Dinner and a Movie

 

    The inspiration behind this piece was the 1988 movie Heathers, which, through a series of murders disguised as suicide attempts tries to relieve the characters from their burden of living in a society where one cannot truly be themselves due to certain social expectations to be and act a specific way. When I thought of the movie, I immediately thought of the colors used to represent each character. Each person is assigned a color (red, yellow, blue, and green for the main characters) that fit their roles in the movie just as we are assigned certain connotations with our own roles in society. The string leading from one cup to another represents being connected with individuals. We are all connected in our society and have the power to form and change our relationships to mold and sculpt the way someone acts towards and with us. The upside down glasses and hexagonal plate in the center of the triangle formed by the thread represent this feeling of being trapped. I often find myself feeling trapped in my own representation of myself, leading me to present myself in certain ways to satisfy other people's expectations rather than my own, and thus the yellow and green powders and hexagonal shape are encased in their own prisons. The fallen glass with red powder spewing out represents being freed from one's "trapped-ness", escaping the expectations and simply being who you want to be rather than what you are expected to be. The watches are representative of the time constrictions we face to finally escape. We only have one life to figure out how to escape the presuppositions we are subjected to, and with each passing day we are running out of time. 

Wrapped Human Body Final

Rebirth

    This project is meant to represent the theme of rebirth and growth. As human beings, we are not devoid of rebirth and growth, we change all the time. We grow as people all the time both in the physical sense of our bodies, and in the figurative sense of our identities. When I think of the term rebirth, I connect it with nature. The way a flower blooms, a caterpillar changes into a butterfly, or how new growth emerges after a forest fire. Specifically in this piece the white cloth represents the blank canvas and endless possibilities one has to change themselves. The grey cloth symbolizes that change is happening for the figure. I specifically chose to devoid the figure of any recognizable human features such as arms or legs because in the end after our transformations we are all unrecognizable. The figure is wrapping itself around the tree and interacting with the flowers in a way that connects the figure's rebirth to nature. This is not a mechanical or manmade rebirth such as when one dyes their hair o paints their nails, it is a natural one.