"You can not hide; your growth as an artist is not separate from your growth as a human being: it is all visible."
-Anne Bogart
-Anne Bogart
Artist Statement
It is my opinion that the human subconscious is taken for granted within our modern society. We are often so busy dwelling in the superficial world that we fail to hear the voices trying to reach us via archetypal imagery and symbols. With my work, I want to dig deeper; I want to open myself up to seeing the symbols in everyday life that are seeking to be recognized, and I want my art to be a visual invitation for others to do the same. This said, I have found that the message of my work is never quite what I originally intend for it to be, for when I become absorbed in the art, my subconscious takes hold. In the end, this release allows me to recognize and reconcile my thoughts and feelings that are at odds with each other under the surface.
With this in mind, I recently started creating more interactive art -- spaces for the viewer to physically excavate and bury tactile imagery. Inspired by the use of meditative zen gardens and sand play therapy to calm and engage the mind, I began building contemplative sand boxes. My boxes contain faces that I molded and carved out of plaster and combined and connected with a meandering labyrinth pattern. The work is a contemplation on human emotion and connection as well a perception; in manipulating the sand, the engaged viewer can cover and uncover what they choose. The work is intended to engage focus, incite curiosity, and encourage play. Because the sand exists in a limited space, uncovering one form or face results in burying another. As humans, we can never truly see the whole picture. We instead see the world in fragments and fill in the missing pieces with memory or imagination.
My process is usually messy and spontaneous. I like to work in layers and make the best of mistakes because, as I said, I feel that the subconscious makes itself manifest through the creative process. I am drawn to mixed media and intrigued by primitive crafts and folk art. In addition, I purposefully include subtle details and hidden imagery in my work that serve to reward those who allow themselves to stay longer, let their minds wander, and open themselves up to all the possibilities of the piece and the way it affects them. Ultimately, in making my work and myself, I’ve learned that art and life are about having the courage to extend and accept creative invitations.
With this in mind, I recently started creating more interactive art -- spaces for the viewer to physically excavate and bury tactile imagery. Inspired by the use of meditative zen gardens and sand play therapy to calm and engage the mind, I began building contemplative sand boxes. My boxes contain faces that I molded and carved out of plaster and combined and connected with a meandering labyrinth pattern. The work is a contemplation on human emotion and connection as well a perception; in manipulating the sand, the engaged viewer can cover and uncover what they choose. The work is intended to engage focus, incite curiosity, and encourage play. Because the sand exists in a limited space, uncovering one form or face results in burying another. As humans, we can never truly see the whole picture. We instead see the world in fragments and fill in the missing pieces with memory or imagination.
My process is usually messy and spontaneous. I like to work in layers and make the best of mistakes because, as I said, I feel that the subconscious makes itself manifest through the creative process. I am drawn to mixed media and intrigued by primitive crafts and folk art. In addition, I purposefully include subtle details and hidden imagery in my work that serve to reward those who allow themselves to stay longer, let their minds wander, and open themselves up to all the possibilities of the piece and the way it affects them. Ultimately, in making my work and myself, I’ve learned that art and life are about having the courage to extend and accept creative invitations.
