Statement

Existential Transformation

I utilize paper and water to craft installations featuring ethereal bodies. The sculptures evoke ancient mummified remains, veiled bodies awaiting a rite of passage, and discarded shells outgrown and abandoned, resembling votive offerings. They are skins, cast from my own body, released to the elements, rescued, and recast—a ritualistic enactment of transformation and regeneration. Through this process, I explore the limits of rehabilitation, questioning how many cycles of renewal can occur before the paper becomes irreparable.

Photography and video document the existence of these transient forms. While the relief objects appear robust and self-supporting, they are delicate, susceptible to tears and prone to deflation. The ritual continues until the object succumbs to decay, leaving behind only shreds of a torn shroud and a digital record of their journey.

Ritual Tracings, Embodied

A smeared mark carries diverse physical, emotional, and social connotations, reflecting a tangible residue of bodily processes intertwined with the cycles of life: menstruation, birth, night sweats, nervous urination, and tears. It embodies a potent, emotive expression, sometimes arising from violence, often deemed undesirable, occasionally unhealthy, and requiring expulsion. Moreover, it serves as a gesture of social disapproval and can inflict reputational damage. It represents the aftermath of a mistake or accident, where attempts to erase may exacerbate the situation.

In a series of immersive impressions, I engage in a ritual of smear-making using acrylic paint on lengthy sheets of paper, followed by pressing the remnants from my body to create stained, ghostly prints. This practice serves as a counterbalance to the pervasive curation of the female body and confronts my own aging process, fostering visibility and acceptance. Regardless of societal expectations, stains are permitted to persist, unedited, on the surface where they can be observed.

Thesis:

Artist Talk, Lesley College of Art + Design, January 7, 2022