Yard Works

The pieces I present culminated from an approach of construction and reconstruction that developed as I worked on this series. Along with the additive processes of making these pieces, I also spent time eliminating, reworking, and reconfiguring how they would look in their final stages. When reflecting on this approach, I realized that while the pieces may not have turned out as I originally planned, it actually imitated the concepts that I was interested in when I first started creating these works. 

It is important to note that all of my preliminary sketches came from memories and were loosely based on the subjects I wanted to portray. These abstracted landscapes and objects stem from memories I have of places and things. Little Friend Lost in the Ivy, portrays the overgrown ivy that engulfs the fence lining my parent’s backyard. Untitled, (room divider) was inspired by the chestnut stained furniture that has always been in my grandparent’s bedroom. 

The process of removing the paint from my canvases and revising the elements I included with my sculptures emulated the fluidity of my memory of the subjects. With the subtractive and additive nature of revising my work, I was forgetting and remembering different details of these subjects. In Bug bites, the viewer can see the outline of my crossbars in the orange plane of the painting. This is where I sanded off the original composition I had planned for to create a new element that I had remembered. 

The process that evolved in creating this work, adding and subtracting materials based on my refreshed recollection of the subject, is important for the viewer to keep in mind while considering these pieces.