Grace McCallister

Artist Statement

In my work I create flattened images of architectural elements to transform structures that we typically think of as solid and permanent into ephemeral forms, evoking the supernatural. Utilizing paper and light, I create a sense of immateriality within these material objects to make. them feel temporary. The translucent and sometimes one-dimensional images convey a feeling of uneasiness while using architectural elements that are typically stable. By distorting the familiar shapes our eyes often pass over, I aim to remind the viewer that the unknown is everywhere.

In our domestic spaces, we work hard to create a feeling of security that is not entirely real. Houses become delicate and fleeting as these stable and dimensional forms dissolve into the layers of wavering shadows cast by their forms. I use my artwork to create encounters between the viewer and the work that awakens the feeling we might have running up a darkened basement staircase after putting in a load of laundry, and suddenly feeling there is someone else who is present.