I wrote last Sunday about how I was participating in Art Meets Fashion, and now that the work has been on display up at Red Butte, I want to post it here on ArtDuh too.
The theme of the show was Metamorphosis. I suppose that in the end, my piece simply shows a woman sitting in a field of blue. But, for me at least, there is a more going on too. I don’t usually like to talk about what a piece means to me, or what I see in my own work. I’d rather see and hear how other people react. But I was asked a few questions about my new artwork before the show, and so I thought I’d post my answers to those questions here as well.
Q: How did you interpret the theme of Metamorphosis?
Creating artwork always involves metamorphosis. I fill a blank piece of paper up with marks and colors, trying to give it meaning. Adding one new color or line can change the way we understand the overall piece. I am interested in breaking the subject down into simple form and color, and then rebuilding it. My small act of creation is a reflection of the larger world. Our world, the whole universe and everything in it, is constantly evolving and changing. We move through time, are shaped by it, and we mark times passage with our lives.
Q: Is there specific symbolism in your piece?
I see the browns and yellows as the physical body, or the earth, and the surrounding blues of my piece is the sky. Or maybe its the blue aether of intelligence, that mysterious substance that binds everything together. Mind falls into the physical world, takes a look around, and lives a life.
Q: How did the theme challenge you artistically?
The concept allowed me to actually sit down, consider some recurring thoughts, and represent them visually. It is always a challenge to take a personal abstract thought or concept and put it down on paper.
Q: Do you have a personal philosophy that emerged during this process?
Like a lot of people, I wonder “What moved and brought the world into being? How did mind and spirit emerge from matter? And how does the individual person fit in with the rest of creation?” Regardless of how you see things, it’s incredible that any of us are here at all. Its amazing we are alive and able to seek meaning, gain a little understanding, and that our brain can manipulate and change the physical (and maybe spiritual) world.
