As personal anxiety becomes fueled by external pressures, imminent feelings crowd, dance and distract their way across painted mental space. The energetic marks are metaphors for the anxiety that plagues us. The protagonist backgrounds are representations of the calm moments. The two opposing forces meet on the painting's surface, acting as a visual metaphor for distraction. Suggestions of meditation, or general advice on how to “just relax”, are heard but not felt. The installation and accompanying paintings act as self-portraiture for my current Existential concerns.
Interior renovation materials are used as a metaphor for comfort in these snapshots of stress. By using construction materials I use on my house, a familiar space is replicated. I abstract my mental space at the same time as my interior space, and meld them to describe my state of mind. I live equally in both spaces, to separate the two is impossible. My work is a reflection of what is happening in my life. Combining my spaces to make a new mental interior, is a coping mechanism for the burden of anxiety. Dissecting the visuals of this feeling is a remedy to relieve the stress while sharpening my understanding of it.
*Solo Exhibition at The Phipps Art Center, Hudson, WI
2019