Curatorial Rationale
In my selected works, I explored an overarching theme of transformation, which was inspired by own personal experiences with growing up. These experiences and feelings include a loss of childhood innocence, an existential crisis, loneliness and isolation, and finally, connection and understanding. These themes occur in sequential order, much like the stages of grief. I showed the connection between these different stages through my consistent use of a more childish, cartoon-like style, which I juxtaposed with the heavy themes that my artwork discusses. As a teenager about to go to college, this theme is personally relevant as I prepare to leave my childhood home for the unfamiliar, responsibility-ridden landscape that is university. I often find myself reflecting on my childhood and wishing I could go back.
The body of works show a range of materials, techniques, and scale. I worked with collage, assemblage, painting, and sculpture to the various stages of transformation to life. The found materials, such as miniature toys, magazine clippings, and mirrors made my work more personal. My use of mediums like papier-mache and painting were reminiscent of childhood crafts, and help to reinforce the connection between a childish art style and the deeper theme of growing up. In this exhibition I wanted to represent the process of growing up in terms of age, but I also found that I grew as an artist as well in the process of creation. The materials used were also specifically selected in order to best reflect the message I was trying to communicate in my work. For example, I included a mirror in “Shattered Reality”, “Cxistential Erisis”, and “Nobody is Alone”. This recurrence of mirrors was intentional in my works, I sought to involve the audience in my work, and represent the idea of how people perceive reality as either perfect, broken, or warped, depending on what stage of growing up they’re in.
I believe that my works share a stong stylistic and thematic connection that makes this a cohesive exhibition. Almost every project shows a simplified reality, whether that’s through a cartoon rabbit in “Bunny Mask”, a classic star shape in “Shattered Reality”, or a cartoon version of myself like in “Alone Again.” These simplified realities represent the world through the eyes of a child, while the more intense themes of the works like loss of innocence and isolation represent the perspective of an adult. My use of a childish style to communicate the many feelings associated with growing up makes up the essence of my exhibition: as we grow up and are exposed to new perceptions of the reality around us, we never quite lose the child inside of us.
My exhibition space is a long hallway, and within it I wanted use both a stylistic and thematic arrangement of works that would show the “stages of growing up”. The loss of innocence theme is at the start of the hallway and as the viewer walk from left to right, they will then see the isolation and loneliness works, and end with existentialism and connection. These separate themes come together to create a cohesive narrative that unfolds as the audience travels within the space.
My work is arranged to show the three different stages of growing up in sequential order. I placed my 3D pieces on podiums below eye-level, which encourages the viewer to get up close and absorb the details. The “Bunny Mask” is hung from the wall above eye level, which causes the viewer to look up at the mask, creating an intimidating mood. My other works are hung from the wall within their respective theme. Ideally, viewers will walk from left to right when observing my exhibition, which will take them through the narrative of growing up that I’ve created. I want my exhibition to encourage my adult audience to reflect on how growing up has affected their life, and hopefully leave with a new desire to connect with their inner child. For my younger audience, I hope that my works can provide a sense of comfort or solidarity as they navigate getting older, and show them that while the path to adulthood can be rough, nobody is alone in their struggles.
In my selected works, I explored an overarching theme of transformation, which was inspired by own personal experiences with growing up. These experiences and feelings include a loss of childhood innocence, an existential crisis, loneliness and isolation, and finally, connection and understanding. These themes occur in sequential order, much like the stages of grief. I showed the connection between these different stages through my consistent use of a more childish, cartoon-like style, which I juxtaposed with the heavy themes that my artwork discusses. As a teenager about to go to college, this theme is personally relevant as I prepare to leave my childhood home for the unfamiliar, responsibility-ridden landscape that is university. I often find myself reflecting on my childhood and wishing I could go back.
The body of works show a range of materials, techniques, and scale. I worked with collage, assemblage, painting, and sculpture to the various stages of transformation to life. The found materials, such as miniature toys, magazine clippings, and mirrors made my work more personal. My use of mediums like papier-mache and painting were reminiscent of childhood crafts, and help to reinforce the connection between a childish art style and the deeper theme of growing up. In this exhibition I wanted to represent the process of growing up in terms of age, but I also found that I grew as an artist as well in the process of creation. The materials used were also specifically selected in order to best reflect the message I was trying to communicate in my work. For example, I included a mirror in “Shattered Reality”, “Cxistential Erisis”, and “Nobody is Alone”. This recurrence of mirrors was intentional in my works, I sought to involve the audience in my work, and represent the idea of how people perceive reality as either perfect, broken, or warped, depending on what stage of growing up they’re in.
I believe that my works share a stong stylistic and thematic connection that makes this a cohesive exhibition. Almost every project shows a simplified reality, whether that’s through a cartoon rabbit in “Bunny Mask”, a classic star shape in “Shattered Reality”, or a cartoon version of myself like in “Alone Again.” These simplified realities represent the world through the eyes of a child, while the more intense themes of the works like loss of innocence and isolation represent the perspective of an adult. My use of a childish style to communicate the many feelings associated with growing up makes up the essence of my exhibition: as we grow up and are exposed to new perceptions of the reality around us, we never quite lose the child inside of us.
My exhibition space is a long hallway, and within it I wanted use both a stylistic and thematic arrangement of works that would show the “stages of growing up”. The loss of innocence theme is at the start of the hallway and as the viewer walk from left to right, they will then see the isolation and loneliness works, and end with existentialism and connection. These separate themes come together to create a cohesive narrative that unfolds as the audience travels within the space.
My work is arranged to show the three different stages of growing up in sequential order. I placed my 3D pieces on podiums below eye-level, which encourages the viewer to get up close and absorb the details. The “Bunny Mask” is hung from the wall above eye level, which causes the viewer to look up at the mask, creating an intimidating mood. My other works are hung from the wall within their respective theme. Ideally, viewers will walk from left to right when observing my exhibition, which will take them through the narrative of growing up that I’ve created. I want my exhibition to encourage my adult audience to reflect on how growing up has affected their life, and hopefully leave with a new desire to connect with their inner child. For my younger audience, I hope that my works can provide a sense of comfort or solidarity as they navigate getting older, and show them that while the path to adulthood can be rough, nobody is alone in their struggles.