Tara Mastromihalis

Laurie, September 2020, Acrylic and oil on canvas, 9”x 12”

As I reflect on our current state of isolation, I’ve constantly found myself referring back to the visual material that generates a sense of place through memory. The ways in which life has shifted over the last year has encouraged me to redefine the purpose of my work, as I’ve become fascinated by closely observing a time before my own. My piece features a candid memory of Laurie, a woman present in only the earliest stages of my life. Though this image is sourced from decades ago, I find that observing people, places and objects of history serves as an opportunity to re-imagine them. This piece was inspired by my interest in repurposing both family photography and analyzing the individuals of my own history, granting the viewer a gaze into the people of the past and the moments in which they existed.