Artist Statement Critique #2

My work expresses anxiety. I am an individual, who amongst many others, struggle with past experiences in the present. Verbalizing feelings of angst visually has been a way for me to communicate those emotions. Disfigured bodies, worm like entrails, and decayed forms are constantly repeated through out my work. Each motif convey a sense of being overwhelmed, vulnerable, and discomfort. These ideas are explored through a combination of drawing, painting, collaging and printmaking. 

I am currently creating what I refer to as an “altered book”. Alter books are abandoned books which I use to create images that depict the theme anxiety. These forgotten books are exploited by being ripped apart and expose the original lettering and illustrations underneath each page. Tracing paper, water color and gesso are added to hastily cover up the destructed pages. Alluded forms of the human figure or decayed body parts are drawn repetitiously on top of these pages. While xeroxed copied worm like entrails are carefully cut and collaged on to these forms as if it were a bandaid. Holistically, this alter book is symbolic of my being. It embodies my reaction or release to anxiety. 

Additionally, I am producing monotype prints. These prints are created spontaneously. I choose very bold colors of ink such as red to suggest bodily fluids. After the ink is rolled on to the plate I make indentations into the ink. These indentations are organic like forms that cover the plate. I use my hands, paper towels, and rubbing alcohol to create textures on to the plate to give the print ghostly like layers. Ultimately, I create a print that is once again based off my reaction to anxiety and its release.

To reiterate, the images are made to illustrate the physical and psychological “harms” of anxiety. An important aspect that have been emphasized is the process to creating these images. The process of the almost obsessive redrawn entities or the continuous layering paper or painted over figures references the difficult nature of dealing with anxiety. Coincidentally, it also exhibits a therapeutic method in how I deal with anxiety.