Artifacts and fantasy

Abstract

Memory like emotions, cannot be experienced in the past. It may be experienced only in the present. These are representations that form our perceptions of the past, present and future. Most individuals have a tendency to filter out pain and suffering. They create nostalgic and sentimental visions of the past that represent them as happy and secure. For people who experience trauma, remembering can be disruptive; it exposes the disconnect between the initial event and the narrative they have developed to cope with it. The paintings in "Artifacts and Fantasy", encourage the viewer to excavate layers and sift through materials, thereby activating memory. Familiar artifacts and textures draw the viewer into the surface of the painting. The scale and complexity of the work make the viewer step back to view the object as a whole. This body of work invites introspection, maybe even escapism. My use of nostalgia, sentimentality and irony encourages the viewer to reflect in the past and provides a bridge between remembrance and transcendence, where the human spirit strives for resolution, comfort, hope or simply humorous relief from stress or pain.