Earth & Roots: Exploring materials as metaphors (2019)
Explorations for artistic research
I research how natural and found materials can function as metaphors for personal experiences. How is the creation and interpretations of metaphors related to our cultures and life-experiences? We give materials meaning. It helps us define and understand the world around us. Relate materials to ideas, thoughts, memories. In this way we can use materials to gain a better understanding of ourselves in the world, and in relation to others.
Who am I in this world? How do I relate and how do I want to relate to the word around me?
The pictures above depict and exploration of materials I used to explore my family roots. What it means to 'root' somewhere, and what impact traveling and living in different places have on my life and the roots of life I grow. Where and when do I feel 'grounded' or 'rooted' when do I experience to have 'feet on (or in) the ground'? Can I 'unroot'?
earth: new life, living, growing, dying, a return, a connection, places, stability..
roots: growing, living, exploring, connecting, holding tight, history, family, identity, curiosity..
* This experiment was part of artistic research in the development of a collaborative art project into family identity (2019)
