Abstract
Fabric of Reality follows the story of Dylan, a three-foot tall felted puppet, who is uncertain of where his life is going. The main character is portrayed as a puppet, not because he isn't real, but because he feels like a ‘puppet’. Fabric of Reality is about anxiety and uncertainty, self doubt, fixation, control, understanding, and a bit of stupidity. Dylan is someone who struggles with feeling a lack of control and autonomy, which leads him to search for control somewhere else. Or rather, in something. After finding an object that he believes could give him answers or guidance to a better and happier life, he instead develops an unhealthy fixation with it. Dylan’s stupidity arises when he's unable to let go of the idea that he might not receive any answers that he so desperately wants. In the end, Dylan is faced with his own type of realization that he won't get the realization or big ‘ah-ha’ moment of truth. He instead does something that truly scares him and has never thought to do: continue on, unknowing.
“The realization that life is absurd and cannot be an end, but only a beginning. This is a truth nearly all great minds have taken as their starting point. It is not this discovery that is interesting, but the consequences and rules of action drawn from it.” - Albert Camus
Artist Statement
I am someone who hyper-analyzes everything I do in order to look ‘normal’. I monitor my facial expressions when talking to people, making sure the intonation and cadences in my voice sound just right, and adjusting the way my body simply rests– all for what I think is the ‘right’ way to look and act for the benefit of others around me. And despite not having any luck so far, I still have a constant urge to somehow find the magic, perfect, correct answers for what I’m supposed to do. If there is such a thing...But the thing is, when I pay so much of my attention to myself like this in a failed attempt to connect more with others, I miss out on a lot of things happening right in front of me, and I end up feeling even more disconnected to everyone else. Whether my art is telling other people’s stories through short documentary films, or illustrating a confusing thought in my head; I’d like to think all of my art shares a similar story. A story about community and connection. This is why people, animals, and creatures of all sorts are typically the focus in most of my art, rather than inanimate objects. With an interest in communication and human nature in general; I often find myself creating art that reflects feelings of being misunderstood, alone, and yet ultimately how we are all connected.
