AN ART EXHIBITION EXPLORING MEMORIES OF TRANSITION, COMFORT, FAREWELLS AND RETURNS
PRESS:
WWW.USATODAY.COM Article
WWW.USATODAY.COM Photo Gallery
DU Today Article
NOVEMBER 2008 - FEBRUARY 2009
A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BETWEEN DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
AND THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ELECTRONIC MEDIA ARTS DESIGN AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER
TERMINAL EAST, SIXTH LEVEL
NO PLACE LIKE HOME is a multi-faceted art installation that explores memories of transition, migration, journey, comfort, farewells and returns. Four individual artists intertwine their experiences, thoughts, concerns, and reflections about traveling to and from home. Layers of imagery, maps, movement, and playful objects illustrate the transition from one home to the next, the illusion of home, and various notions of what home is, was, or will be. Each artist explores these notions in unique ways with individual attention to media, materials, and their own specific approach to the theme. A cohesive whole emerges from these disparate elements in much the same way that our memories of home blur, soften, expand and remix themselves over time.
HOME; AWAY FROM HOME
Home; Away from Home is a time-based visual exploration of movement,pattern, trajectory, transition and migration. Video imagery based on simulation and mimicry of natural patterns of organic movement, such as flocking, schooling and migration are layered with simple marks reminiscent of flight patterns and topographical surveys. These lines on paper could be directions home, or routes yet to be explored; trajectories that navigate through layers of emotion and memory; connections made and missed; always already arriving, constantly coming home.
LIFT AND ANGLE
My work reflects population movement and notions of home. I am visually representing six states across the United States, each of which had high population growth over the past decade. I propose to construct thirty boxes made of vellum. From box-framed houses to the box shaped cubicles we work in, this geometric shape inherently signifies the spaces where most humans spend their time. I will hang a column of five boxes for each state. Each box will represent two years and a column of five boxes will represent a decade. Population growth will be represented in each box with lines made of thread. Utilizing simple, abstract lines to represent flight patterns, I will print the patterns that correspond to the region of each state on the back of each box. I will also create a backdrop inspired by the flight patterns of the entire United States using fabric and thread. To represent transition and migration, I will suspend the boxes as if in flight.
TREE COVERED IN SNOW
This piece reflects the nostalgia of home, family, and memories that evoke comfort. Childhood memories are often playful ranging from jumping in piles of leaves, eating cake at birthday parties, and building forts in trees. As adults we think of these childhood memories with fondness and nostalgia for days of play. These colorful and cozy socks are reminiscent of childhood comforts and their bright colors are associated with fantasy worlds. The artwork is inviting to climb and to escape in its landscape of color.
FILTERED EMBRACE
Filtered Embrace illustrates the perception of home that is composed of memories that transform and become blurry with time. The use of transparent material illustrates the layers of memories that become distorted as new memories are created. A chair, a lamp, an old table, and shoes are objects that represent a space (such as home) that provides comfort with familiarity. The objects have been salvaged from thrift stores and yard sales and chosen because they are similar to objects I remember from my childhood. They do not look exactly like what I recall but they are placed in my memory as placeholders for similar objects and occasions. My memories and the memories of these salvaged objects begin to morph as time passes andnew objects and experiences create layers of life experiences.
