MY SITE
Exhibition
Curatorial Rational
One of my favorite books is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I love this book for various reasons, but, to me, the motif of oblivion was the most memorable part. Oblivion can be defined in various ways and has many different connotations in different situations. In the book, oblivion is defined as the destruction of everything and mentioned as a fear. The Oxford dictionary explains oblivion as, “the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening,” “the state of being forgotten,” and “extinction.” Before I read this book I never thought about the concept of oblivion and the idea that everything could be lost or forgotten, but once it was mentioned I was drawn in and captivated by the idea that someone could be afraid of it. The concept of “oblivion” stuck with me, whether it centered around the fear of oblivion, the unknowns of oblivion, or very specific or personal definitions of the word. I began exploring it through many different connotations and definitions through my own artwork. My exhibition is a large spectra of what I define as oblivion and what are the widely accepted definitions, something abstract and conceptually challenging to understand. To me, “oblivion” is the sense of emptiness and not knowing. I interpret the sense of oblivion as the deepest part of the ocean that we have yet to reach, and the farthest reaches of space that we may only know through telescopes and satellites or not at all.
Each of my artworks provide a different interpretation of the term “oblivion” through my choice of media, technique, and scale. The first artwork, Oblivion is Inevitable, explored the fear of oblivion very literally from what I interpreted from the novel The Fault in Our Stars. The monochromatic palette and the use of a blank human face supported the literal sense of oblivion because of the darkness it evokes. It was my first take on displaying a visual of oblivion and therefore I poured my first ideas out onto the page. Later on as I stepped away from the literal sense of oblivion I created more abstract artworks. Eddies contrasted the idea of oblivion being dark and soul-sucking and instead showed beauty in nothingness, using bright and colorful oil pastels to blend “eddies” of color together. This was the closest depiction of my interpretation of oblivion because its abstract and joyful, not definitive and scary. Void, one of the final artworks, is an interactive canopy/waterfall. The audience is expected to experience oblivion by walking through this artwork. All of my artworks were an interpretation of oblivion; one from The Fault in Our Stars, others from dictionary definitions, and one of my own interpretation.
Through my exhibition, I wanted to make the audience feel they didn’t have to be afraid of oblivion and to explore the many different interpretations and definitions of oblivion. My exhibition is arranged so that the audience walks from the left to the right, observing my own transition from a literal definition of oblivion to the audience’s own interpretation with Void. From the first to the final artwork, I grouped abstract artworks together, artworks that displayed heads, and artworks that included a human figure. This arrangement shows how I analyzed different interpretations of oblivion through my different artworks which led to the installation. The conclusion of the exhibition, Void, encourages the audience to respond to the question What does “oblivion” mean to you?
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First, I focused on the topic of death, seen in the monochromatic palette and hauntedness of a figure. Then I drew inspiration from John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars” novel exploring the theme of oblivion. At the beginning of the book, one character says, “If the inevitability of human oblivion worries you, I encourage you to just ignore it.” I see oblivion as inevitable but beautiful, seen through the depiction of a woman, haunting and distorted but unified through the monochromatic color.
Oblivion is Inevitable
pen, ink, and pencil on paper 36 x 33 cm |
There are many sculptures of a walking man throughout art history, including Auguste Rodin’s “The Walking Man” and Alberto Giacometti’s “Walking Man II.” To add my own take on the walking man image, I added a contemporary twist using metal wires surrounding the figure. The oblivion is represented by the metal net pulling the man into the darkness. The net is also the representation of fear, often related to oblivion.
Lurking Shadows
clay and metal wire 18 x 13 x 10 cm |
My artwork is inspired by Edgar Degas’ artworks. Even as a young girl, I loved his paintings, especially the dancers. I was obsessed with visible brush strokes and surprised by the detailing that could be created with pastels. I chose to mimic the clear and flowing blending of colors from Degas’ technique to incorporate it into my theme of oblivion. Although the image shows a disturbing expression, the soft blending of colors creates a comforting feeling.
The Mask
oil pastel on paper 46 x 46 cm
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The main influence for my artwork was the “Entering Oblivion” painting by Paul Edmundson because of the swirling of colored patterns and the surrealist nature. I achieved the representation of oblivion in my artwork through the unidentifiable images and abstract shapes connected through blurred colors based on Edmundson’s painting.
Eddies
oil pastel on paper 51 x 51cm |
As a child I was fascinated by impressionism, both paintings and drawings. Based on this inspiration, I chose to create my own impressionist painting using the theme of oblivion, focusing on the lonely and unaware side of it. I pictured a forest (because it symbolizes being lost) and a figure lost in the middle of it as a representation of loneliness. The charcoal painting is foreboding while the painted one is colorful and sad.
The Forests (Diptych)
acrylic paint on canvas and charcoal on paper 61 x 46 cm |
This sculpture is the representation of oblivion through the image of heads with hands covering different senses: sight, hearing, or speaking. This artwork was inspired by the Japanese proverb of the Three Wise Monkeys stating, “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” The hands are barriers, blocking the clay heads from these senses, triggering a sense of oblivion to the world around them. The simplified and colorless features emphasize the obliviousness of the surroundings.
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Three Wise Heads
clay each clay piece is 8 x 6 x 6 cm |
I researched Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss,” Edvard Munch’s “Vampire,” and Alina Andrienko’s “The Meaningful Hug,” to help me understand how the positioning and proximity of figures communicate loneliness. This helped me to understand composition and space so that I could translate it into my work through an oval-like shape around the figure and where the figure was situated in the artwork. Oblivion is seen through the hug they give and the emptiness they receive.
The Forlorn Embrace
oil pastel on paper 43 x 56 cm |
This is an interactive artwork made with a hoop and fabric. The installation represents oblivion and what I imagine it’s like to be submerged in nothingness. Standing in the center of the installation, the black fabric blends into one, obscuring the view outside. The installation is an attempt at creating oblivion through an interactive design, but through my interpretation. This creates a nothingness, a loss of senses, what I define as oblivion.
Void
fabric, cement glue, and plastic 91 x 91 x 229 cm |
I depicted a silhouette of a person with some contours where shadows on the face and neck/shoulders fall. These details helped to define the shape created as a human, but it is still alien. This helps to create some depth in this artwork while also keeping the two-dimensionality true to its materials, similar to the topic of oblivion. The warm colors depict energy that contrasts the black, devoid of light, to create the ambiguousness of oblivion.
Red and Yellow
chalk on paper 43 x 56 cm |