beneath the surface

Curatorial Rationale

I chose the title “beneath the surface” because it simply put into words what my overarching artistic intention was for this entire collection of work. From the very first piece I created within this class, I was drawing from a source of a variety of emotions welled incredibly deep within me; pulling from memories and experiences that can’t necessarily be depicted on the outside. My work explores who I am through the way I explicitly feel and think, and it was one aspect of my process that I was sure to remain true. While I am expressing my collection as essentially a delve into my consciousness, it did not begin that way. Having been fascinated with art--whether it be creating it myself or consuming that of others--for such a long time, it was simply that. A fascination. Something that brought me joy. What really allowed me to even create these pieces that are so much more than doodles and late night explorations in materials, was a meaningful look at myself. I was being peppered with all of these thought-provoking questions and ideas, so when it came time to sit down and produce pieces of art it was a long-coming revelation. I wanted to become an artist that creates work for themselves and uses the creative process as a way to untangle any inner turmoil.

As someone who is just beginning to grasp many larger-than-life concepts and norms, the world that I am growing up in has easily influenced my work from the start. I am not yet considered a legal adult yet that does not mean I don’t have my own beliefs and view of discussions leaking from mouths all around me. While I did love to use symbolism in my work--something that I was conveying covertly to my audience in the hopes they would understand and possibly come up with their own approaches--I aimed for a lot of my thoughts to be bold and forthcoming. My artworks revolve around me and who I am on a more emotional level so that includes opinions and standpoints. The first piece I want to discuss is “man and woman” which was my greatest challenge. Primarily because it was with a medium that I found myself struggling with, but mainly for the reason that I was trying to prompt a discussion on something very personal to me. This is the largest piece of the collection and it took a lot of just sitting with a sketchbook and lightly carving the vast geometric shapes and which ones were to resemble which portions of the face. As I was moving throughout the entire process of creating the largest piece I have ever created in my life, more thoughts began to form. In the society we live in, we are being continuously fed the entirely rigid and fixed gender dynamic that places men in a position of power and the woman essentially there to praise the man. Why many extremely conservative and powerful men fear the idea of a woman being in power is just something that has been so deeply ingrained into their minds as it has been that way forever. My piece evolved into this nod to feminism, where the woman should be equal to the man in all aspects of the word. There has to be some sort of balance.

As much as I enjoy graphic design and being able to create artwork online there is absolutely nothing like visiting an exhibition in person. COVID-19 was an unexpected and abrupt end to our time around other human beings, and not having the opportunity to showcase all of my hard work for friends and family stings. There is just something about seeing an artwork hung in front of you whether it be the lighting or the environment, but having to take a photo to upload online sucks all of the magic out of it. Nonetheless, I know that the COVID safe version of my exhibition will take nothing away from all of my work and I am fortunate that those I want will still be able to access it.