A state of absence is three part working series, comprised of photography, drawing and projection work. It is comprised of a projection of a moving human form covered by a wet sheet of silk organza. The projection is shown on the floor. The two chairs sit on the top and bottom of the projected person. The dysfunctional state of the fragile casts created an unsettling dynamic between the chairs and the figure. Due to the fact that there are two casts with the projection, it implied that there is a particular relationship that brings them together. I wished to push the idea of their acting as a reference to parental figures. This created a ghostly atmosphere. The absence of human forms and the strange or precarious materiality of the chair add elements of ephemerality, and imply elapsing time. The concept of time is important because it shows the viewer that the figures struggle is on going. This piece focuses on a duality of absence in contrast to presence. Creating an atmosphere is important to me. In this work I play with tension and power dynamics. Viewers have no control over the projected figure and its painful state of being; the figure has very staggered breathing motions, slight uncomfortable movements and overall body language. Their inability to intervene creates a sense of tension and evokes questions, such as; what is happening to this figure, Is someone or something doing this? Or is this a visual interpretation of internalization? And who is underneath the sheet? Breathing and movement have a major role in how the work is read. It displays discomfort, sorrow and helplessness. This effect directly speaks to trauma and the recovery process that I had been internalized.
An important element to this particular piece is the ability to communicate with my audience through visual authorship. I want the viewers to feel a certain emotion or experience, such as tension, empathy and personal struggle. I want them to engage and be injected into a mental atmosphere. With this work I was highly aware of how I wanted the audience to engage with the work. I used ambiguous visual language to push my viewer to inquire more in depth thus creating an interest in learning about the narrative that I am withholding in this piece. This secretive method allowed me to impose a strong power dynamic between the work and the viewer, the projected figure and the casted chairs. I alone knew what was occurring to this figure, the story behind it and its meaning. This body of work in a sense acted as a self-portrait. It was showcasing an internalization of how I felt while exploring memories and moments within my past.