Water BlocksIn this series, water is the symbolic interpretation of words and emotion. It represents the dialogue, conscious thought, and constant stream of emotion in life’s relationships. I use water as the visual vehicle for pain & darkness, joy & light. The ebb and flow one feels while immersed in the imagery becomes equivalent to truth and lie, the sweet and hurtful, the sometimes tumultuous or strangely symbiotic push and pull we encounter throughout our existence. There is no action without reaction, and the seesaw effect between the two can be overwhelming. Rolling movement within the images parallel how we express ourselves to others, perceive people’s actions, and how we reconcile actions to ourselves. Our relationships all hang in a delicate balance, ever changing in a rhythmic pattern as long as lines of communication remain open. Some waters are peaceful, comfortable, and calming depicted by lazily flowing line. Others are turbulent with abrupt staccato steps, recognizing the possibility and fear of getting hurt, or simply knowing that when moving forward there will be rougher waters ahead.
Water is ever changing. It will never be the same as it is in this moment, nor will you. No one can see exactly what another sees, and likewise, the storyline of each person’s life is absolutely unique. No one experiences everything the same as you do, or is affected as you are. Life’s turbulences- a loss of a loved one, guilt, a heart break, or joys - a feeling of accomplishment, love, and pride, are all experienced differently. Being drawn to water throughout my life has been my sanctuary. Whether it be the easily lapping sounds of waves caressing the shore, a splash from a kayak paddle, or the distinctive whip of a blustery white-capped day, this life source holds a peace within itself like no other element. It is essential to life, essential to well being, essential to emotive reflection to my conscious thought. It holds memories and nostalgic longing and is recognizable in pond & lake, ocean or puddle. Drink it in. Let yourself feel. Let it run through your veins and energize your body, soothe your anxieties, and feed your soul. |
Unwanted Necessities: Weeds
This series derives from abstractions of weeds of the Northeast region of the United States and symbolizes the hardships, miseries, and tragedies that we all confront, struggle with, or run from throughout our lives. These weeds illustrate the loss of some one near and dear, a life altering decision, illness, heartbreak, impending death, a conversation you wish you had and now cannot, among other internal conflicts. These lines, shapes, weeds, symbolize the elephant in the room that no one wants to address. They are the embodiment of the invisible weight on one’s shoulders. They are constant. They represent things that happen to you, not because of you; they are the incidents that make you wonder what karma is coming back to haunt you and what wrongdoing you must have achieved because there is no other reason nor explanation for such horrid luck. These weeds pop up out of the cracks, out of the wood work, out of the dark memories in one’s mind. You wish you could forget it all, and yet you have to face them over and over again. As the series develops, these symbols have shown themselves more and more in the surrounding world. They are the lines on the streets that bring you to, and take you away. They are the veins running throughout your body, the forests growing tall and ominous overhead, the supports that hold bridges and piers, the tears that fall from your eyes. These abstractions represent the ever present demons we all face through use of organic, growing, living form.
