Sophie Larsen
Sophie Larsen - Curatorial Rationale
The pandemic has impacted everyone’s means of communication and interaction, and during this time of solitude I have reflected on how people’s personal internal lives interact with their social, external lives. Through this body of work I sought to explore different ways to portray the human need for communication and the methods for doing so. This exploration helped me commune with my feelings of loss for the community I once had and to gain the courage to step out more online. I hope to gain and spread appreciation for the value of connection to others and maintaining balance between what you feel and what you share.
I have always worked more in the two dimensional, as it is simply more practical for storage and most of the three dimensional work I was exposed to required materials I didn’t have access to. However the more I explore online the larger my scope of art becomes. I was particularly inspired by Martha Haversham, a contemporary UK artist who combines simple found objects to create simple sculptures. Last spring, in a flurry of inspiration, I bought myself a hot glue gun, and suddenly a whole new world of art opened up to me as I could connect any object into my art. Now I am addicted to three dimensional art, and see possibilities in everything around me. I discovered that with a bit of tin foil and glue I can mold any shape I want; no need for clay! Then I can play around with these shapes, combining concepts and ideas in an aesthetic manner. I have fallen in love with the way the interaction with physical space presents more interaction with the viewer.
I chose to arrange my pieces from the purely physical representations of forms of communication and interplay within and without people through our senses to the more conceptual representations of this. Thus the viewer can build up to an abstract understanding of what it means to interact in this world from the initial concrete to the symbolic. By listening to the shared experiences of human connection my art displays, I hope people feel connected to the shared human experience of listening.
Sophie Larsen
A Glimpse (June 2020)
Oil Pastel
7.5” x 7.5” & 7.5” x 7.5”
Our minds are stellar at recognizing subtle changes in facial features which can indicate emotion. The first part of this piece displays the canvas on which I paint my own emotions, and while it features a plain stare the vibrant colors emboldened across it represent the capacity these wrinkles, shadows, and highlights have. The second piece is lighter, less soulfully dark, and narrows in on one eye that looks outward, ready to read the souls of others.
Sophie Larsen
Plugged In (April 2020)
Digital image
12.6" x 11.6"
The world in the pandemic days has moved online, and the fine line between personal time and the vast community just a click away has been drawn even thinner. Entertainment, work, socialization, everything is virtual, but time away from it is just as important. Here I document some experiences I have had when strung between my personal well-being, represented by a blissfully unaware cat, and the multitude of possibilities available through wires and computers.
Sophie Larsen
The Tip of the Tongue (December 2020)
Tin foil, newspaper, cardboard, hot glue, acrylic paint, a plastic spoon, a binder ring
4.5” x 4.5” x 7.5”
We rely on words so much in all aspects of our lives, but particularly to communicate with others. Still, we rarely appreciate the vital complexity in their formation. This piece grounds these abstract labels into their original physical state as sound waves moulded through the mouth.
Sophie Larsen
Here My Ear Heard My Heart
Here My Ear Hurt My Heart
Hear My Ear (February 2021)
tin foil, hot glue, cardboard, nails, matches, lego clear sphere, acrylic paint
7.5” x 10” x 7.5”
In today’s world there is so much available to listen to (physically and metaphorically) online that it can be overwhelming, as shown by the figure crouched inside the ear. Many things you hear can incite emotional reactions, as represented by the matches coalescing on the scared figure and fueling the jetpack of the flying one. We are what we hear, our decisions and ideas all influenced by surroundings.
Sophie Larsen
Following Fellows (October 2020)
Wood, screws, nails, acrylic paint, chopsticks, lego wheels/circular objects, earbuds, tin foil, hot glue, magazine images and text
16” x 12” x 20”
This piece represents the interaction within each of our lives between personal time and our interactions with others. By separating these two experiences I was able to show the intensity of the journey one has to make between them, and portray the joy and struggles of both worlds. Reaching out to others can be difficult and confusing but staying within yourself breeds emotional turmoil too. But if you brave this storm the sunshine of personal awareness and social connection can be found.
Sophie Larsen
Insanity (February 2020)
A pair of shoes*, shoelaces, tin foil, cloth, string, hot glue, acrylic paint, foam, netting (found*)
8” x 5” x 12”
Minds can be deathtraps, and turning within can sometimes lead to downward spirals that are nearly impossible to work your way out of. This piece shows the threat when one moves away from communication, and the struggle faced when attempting to return to it when one is lost.
