Description
In June of 2008 I was involved in a severe accident that altered the way I perceive and interact with objects. The everyday tasks I had taken for granted became exhausting chores. Using the kitchen became a painful and complicated affair, relaxing no longer took the form of sitting in a chair but rather a mind-altered haze of prescriptions, and getting to the bathroom became a journey of dread. Fixed is a body of work that articulates my experiences in the hospital as well as explores the altered emotional and physical states of the healing process beyond. Fixed investigates the relationships between pain, grief, humor, and irony. The work inhabits the grey area between these emotions and speaks to the awkward situations they create. Through the organization of materials and imagery from domestic and medical environments, I create a narrative that speaks of the therapeutic process. The passage through a physical and metaphorical doorway into hazy halls creates an altered and unfamiliar environment within eccentric objects are the focal points. Once inside the environment visual and visceral information from my personal experiences are combined with iconic utilitarian forms that allude to a human figure. These objects are presented in vulnerable positions in order to evoke a sense of pity. I question utility and purpose with delicate linear structures that are unable to support the body. While these devices reference use, in actuality they function as little more than burdens and bad ideas. My works are designed to be nearly useful objects and through these I question correction and refinement. Fixed was installed in the Jackson Gallery at San Diego State University from April 11-16 2009.
