Beyond the Reeds: Senior BFA Exhibit 2019
Beyond the Reeds is an exhibition exploring memories in nature through storytelling. Having a unique childhood, I grew up on my family’s private property that consisted of woods, meadows, a creek and a lot of land to roam. Almost every day, my cousins and I were outside exploring these areas to their extent. We identified animals, caught frogs, searched for salamanders and so much more. Those experiences are some of my most cherished memories that I hold on to, to this day. I wanted to pay homage to that youthful eagerness and passion I have for nature due to those memories, and memorialize the stories on pots.
I am inspired by the classical forms of Ancient Greek black-figure pottery, and the way the potters and painters told magnificent stories about their gods, goddesses, heroes, myths and legends. Using my own memories, I’m creating work that realizes them as if they are my own myths and legends, immortalized forever on the pots. The hydriai is the largest form, and was used for carrying between the home and rivers. The two smaller forms are inspired by the lekythos, a very small form used for containing precious perfumes or oils.
I created an installation of a body of water with the animals that are featured on the pots. Bodies of water whether they are ponds, creeks or rivers have always been places that I can go to rejuvenate my spirit and calm my mind. I wanted to recreate this calming environment for others to experience, as well as discover the animals I spent my childhood discovering.
