Artist Statement
Here I am with my mom! She, too, is an artist.
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Art does not constrict me. I am granted the chance to describe my challenges and my sorrows with my mind, heart, and (left) hand working together. In the art room, I slip into a place free from distractions from the world out there, where my problems wait, and sit, sketching, in a state of complete bliss.In May of 2019, I lost my grandparents. Coping has been difficult. The emotions that come with the realization are overwhelming, but I am able to express my feelings through my work, releasing them and allowing myself to feel relief. I create to release tension and express the discomfort we have all felt, to remember the people I have lost and hold onto the people I have. I work to create an eclectic portfolio of the important people in my life and the feelings I have. I am an artist, full of passion. However, I work not only for myself, but for the beautiful people around me. I work to showcase the obstacles that many of us are forced to confront and, with effort, are able to eventually overcome. Through my work, I want to say that we are not alone, but rather we should come together to feel comfort, from one another, because no one should have to deal with pain without support from others. I too have been where you are, with those same feelings, and through my art, I can say this. I have acknowledged the importance of showing unity in my work: now that I have begun to create more pieces that contain subjects beyond only my own life and self, those who view my work can more easily relate to the feelings I express and understand the message I show. I want those who have dealt with challenges, in their lives, just as I have, to know that they are not alone, that they are not the only ones who have felt such emotions. But, at the same time, I want people who are struggling to know that that there is hope. I have plans to create pieces that show hope, are reassuring, and inspire others to keep going. It’s a lot of work to convey such a powerful, and significant, message, but I am always up for the challenge. I consider my artwork to fall under the category of contemporary realism -- but with a twist. I work to have realistic elements with abstract backgrounds, abstract situations, and even abstract ideas. However, I have pieces that fall under the broader categories of abstract art and realism, as well. I have also begun to experiment with different mediums, many of which reflect my concentration such as colored pencil, charcoal, pencil, acrylics, and watercolors, among others; I have also begun developing my skills in photography and photoshop. I have showed the lack of control I feel and have experienced not only through self-portraits, which I believed would most clearly express my concentration, but through abstract pieces, collages, and photographs. My Sustained Investigation focuses on common themes (common mental illnesses and emotional challenges): anxiety, depression, and having a lack of control. There are so many things that have happened to me that I wish I could have had control over, but did not. I wish I could bring my grandparents back, but I cannot control such a thing. I wish I wasn’t always pulled and pushed around, but it’s difficult to ask people to stop if they don’t care to listen. I had been considering a handful of themes, trying to see which, if any, was reoccurring or prominent in my life. I felt powerless, at times, but I knew that I still had strength, and courage. At times, I would as helpless, or even useless, but I knew those feelings were temporary discomforts, and may even remind me of the times I felt useless in my life, rather than the times I knew there was nothing I could do to control the events of my life. However, my artwork shows progress. My artwork shows that I am slowly beginning to work through the feelings of anxiety, as well as depression, as I progress from more rigid, static pieces to more relaxed pieces that are, in a way, freeing. In my art process, my art process begins through the expression of emotions. From here, I work to develop a vision that captures my emotions or my most intense emotion. Secondly, after I’ve developed a vision for and begun my piece, I listen to my mind and make changes to my work, as needed. These changes may be short-term: for example, if a day has been particularly difficult, I may leave behind darker marks. These changes may also be long-term. As my artwork has progressed, and I have developed my craft, I have become more experimental with my work. Initially, when I refused to listen to my emotions, my art was more static and rigid. As I learned to confront my emotions, and gradually shift my attention away from them, I was able to show more movement and color, in my artwork. I notice that my Sustained Investigation topics have expanded beyond only my own life, and now shows messages that can pertain to others. This was a goal I had, and one that came along as May grew farther away. I have grown as a person, since then, and my skills have developed. I have begun to take more pride in my work, and in myself, and I feel as though this shows in my more recent work. I plan to only continue growing, as a person, and an artist. I want to complete additional concentration pieces, particularly pieces that can be understood by and special to others. I want to become stronger at making my work more interpretive, but also have a clear message. This way, others will be able to connect my pieces to their own lives, but see that there is still hope. Hope is a lovely thing I want to work into my concentration pieces as best as I can. Hope is something I want to always feel, for it keeps me going; I want those who view my work to be inspired, and to also feel that fire in their hearts. |