Taking Control
Acrylic paint on Masonite board sculptures, cut vinyl, laser engraved mirrors, & site specific light source. (2015)
Through the manipulation of paint, mirrors and light, my work explores the duality of what is in and what is out of one’s control. Each work in the series represents the development of my own awareness of these competing relationships and the extent to which I am affected by this knowledge. On the surface of each work I am able to impose stability and control on an originally randomized surface. This process of the structuring and covering up of the imperfections of the surface is never ending and, in concept, will never be complete.
Embedded within these painted surfaces are illusions of infinity light created with a security mirror, a laser engraved mirror and a single hanging light bulb. From the front, these geometric light patterns seem ambiguous and insignificant, occasionally continuing a line of paint to create a form. Walking around the work reveals that these designs are in fact part of a larger chemical structure. Purposefully industrial and raw, these chemical compounds appear in all four works but are structured differently—some affect the front image more than others. This series is evidence of my need to structure and control the world around me. Through the layering of forms, mediums, and concepts this series is the product of me taking control of the repetitive therapeutic process I use to explore my impulse to find stability in life.
This series was first exhibited at the Armory Gallery in Blacksburg, VA in March 2015. Following this exhibition, individual pieces from the series were exhibited in group exhibitions at the Moss Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech (2015) and The Grove, the President of Virginia Tech's residence (2015-2016).
