Abstract
Anomaly represents continuous thought, suspended in time as I age and develop a greater perspective of meaning, purpose, and the resounding thought of time; how time will alter the vessel that carries me throughout my existence. I find myself searching for a connection with the organic relationship between my mental disorder, physical body, and the inevitable decomposition of life. I am thinking of manipulating flesh and bone to sustain time and to exist beyond natural form through body-modifying prosthetics and natural elements of a rapidly eroding earth. Within this work frame, I have attempted to reify the connection between my physical body and the traumas it endures throughout my life’s transmutative experiences. As I explore this personal relationship with my body, I have visually narrated transformative trauma, represented through a modeling performance. The sculpted and casted metal adornments displayed on the model represent physical modification and mental dysmorphia, alluding to my natural fear of degradation. The burdens of trauma can dig themselves so deep inside the body that it adapts by building resiliency against the elements that can destroy it. Defense mechanisms are there to withstand the threat of danger, but prolonging them can often deteriorate the mind and body, and the weight can feel nearly impossible to molt; it can often feel like death. While making this body of work, I have come to terms with the painstaking process of moving on and understanding the strength in knowing when to release the binds that mentally and emotionally imprison me.
Artist Statement
I am an interdisciplinary artist in Portland, Oregon, working within various mediums, including video, sculpture, body casting, metal casting, and photography. For me, everything starts with a story. The structure of my concepts often fuses the gap between reality and fantasy that allude to metaphors of identity. My creative inspiration comes from cinema, trauma, dreams, and memories. I often imagine my visuals playing out like stills in a film, telling my stories through a narrative approach. I find satisfaction in collaborative processes with other artists and performers, which I believe enhances the outcome and meaning of each piece. My work features people from my everyday life, transforming their natural state into beings that transcend normality and regularity through cosmetics, prosthetics, costumes, and a surreal atmosphere. I firmly believe that to find inspiration for new work, I must continue pursuing imaginative expansion and challenging my relationship with new creative mediums that allow me to express my altered state of consciousness.