Denise Heredia

Aristotle defines the distinction between humans and other animals as our ability to think rationally. On the contrary, I define “human” as an incredibly misunderstood creature. The choices we make are not solely based on reason, but also emotion, beliefs, and imagination. We experience indecisiveness, doubt, anxiety, and we yearn for solutions to problems that don’t even exist. Hence, I portrayed the theme of irrationality throughout all my chosen pieces. I utilized a variety of media, including 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional, and screen-based forms. I always ensured that I included some aspect of contrast in all my pieces—whether it be between color, shade, or composition—as well as the utilization of a human subject. My pieces were rendered in realism, surrealism, sequential art, contemporary/ new-media art, Naïve art, and conceptual installation. Since irrationality contradicts reason and linear thinking, my approach was equally diverse, and inclusive of multiple art styles, disregarding rigid art boundaries. My most common medium was oil paint, since I admire it’s fluidity and susceptibility to changes and mistakes. To me, the nature of oil paint is similar to the malleability of the human mind; although we may be born with predetermined careers, we also have the ability to make detours and recreate plans. In addition, I utilized a great deal of digital art, especially to illustrate non-conventional color schemes and dream-like compositions.

My pieces incorporate a plethora of mental illness and psychological phenomena relating to human irrationality, such as body dysmorphia, anxiety/depressive disorders, dissociative personality disorder, loneliness, discrimination, and subconscious desire. My piece “debt” depicts the workings of the irrational mind as a byproduct of societal pressures. A single, ambiguous subject is placed in the center of a plain-black panel. Through a series of stages, the viewer notices that this same subject is slowly engulfed by the surrounding nails and thread, which represent the subject’s wrongdoings. Instead of learning to accept their mistakes, the subject sinks into a spiral of hopelessness. I achieved this piece through meticulous repetition of threading and nailing, to emphasize the main subject amongst a monotonous network of thread. Another one of my pieces “debíle” is another series that depicts how the brain degrades from dementia. Irrationality transpires once the viewer pays attention to the subject’s head and surrounding landscape. As the subject spirals into complete unawareness and confusion, their head and environment become more disoriented and fragmented, until they finally reach the final stage of death and tranquility. My piece “Pukka” illustrates how humans perceive the nature of perfection and also challenges the message behind “debt”. According to the Pratfall Effect, people who are overly competitive and successful at life will be perceived as more likeable by others if they commit some sort of blunder. Simply put, one’s interpersonal appeal may actually increase the more natural and “flawed” he/she appears to society. In this case, I utilized a combination of digital software and photography to compose each subject as a unique character. This piece introduces a new way of perceiving imperfections in others. Unlike “debt” which suggests that the subject must be punished for their actions, “Pukka” instead provides a more positive notion that we can disagree with societal expectations and learn to perceive our irrationalities as simply human nature.

I intend to arrange my pieces in a manner that the viewer feels enclosed inside someone else's mind. Pieces relating to internal struggles and subconscious thoughts will be arranged on the right side of the enclosed space (right hemisphere), whereas pieces relating to environmental factors and conscious interaction will be arranged on the left side (left hemisphere). The only piece which will be centered in the enclosed space will be “debíle”, since it is a very specific piece relating to a disease which one cannot control. Hence, centering this piece will ultimately provide the sense that Dementia influences both the conscious and the subconscious. Viewers will be able to better comprehend the nature of my artworks, both individually and as a collection. Because most of the pieces incorporate my personal life experiences and other human phenomena, they will be more likely to relate to the pieces and interpret them in ways that make sense to them and the artist.