Are You Still There?
Are You Still There? is a series of portraits that explores the emotions behind our struggle to communicate within our most significant relationships. Each portrait captures a fleeting gap in an imagined conversation between me and my husband. Within this gap, we process what has been said, and become aware of our own otherness. This realization is isolating and in conflict with what society leads us to believe: that through this relationship we are complete, or somehow not alone.
Our gestures are familiar archetypes of contemporary communication. We are either visually transfixed, deciphering what was said in 140 characters or less, or we are lost in thought while we evaluate, aimlessly gazing without seeing. Physically and emotionally, we are both here and not here.
The creation of my pencil drawings is slow and meditative. The graphite allows me to gradually develop the materials, textures, and feelings of each investigation. The mylar, while being tough and durable, has a delicacy that relates to both our corporeal and emotional selves.
Our gestures are familiar archetypes of contemporary communication. We are either visually transfixed, deciphering what was said in 140 characters or less, or we are lost in thought while we evaluate, aimlessly gazing without seeing. Physically and emotionally, we are both here and not here.
The creation of my pencil drawings is slow and meditative. The graphite allows me to gradually develop the materials, textures, and feelings of each investigation. The mylar, while being tough and durable, has a delicacy that relates to both our corporeal and emotional selves.
