FACING THE DISCONNECT

Confronting Disconnect illustrates the processing of my emotions and how they affect my ability to be present in my life.  When considering my emotions, I think of them as an indication from my brain that I can accept or discard.  Making this choice can easily spiral into an obsession, either constantly processing them or actively ignoring them. Both scenarios result in a convoluted sense of self and disconnection from the present.

Water and windows illustrate my experience of confronting a version of myself that is disconnected from reality.  Both of these materials reflect and distort but in distinctive ways. Windows provide a clearer image with more accurate reflections but construct an impassable physical barrier.  On the opposite side, water twists and warps the view but allow for movement and progression. Together, they illustrate the opposing struggle of knowing what to do but being unable to do it, or being able to progress but ignorant of where to go.

This work was created as a companion piece to to No Rest for the Tired. Both of these works would fall under traditional self portraits, but in my mind they do not depict myself. Instead they show a character I play that represents my own experience. The use of a consistent outfit throughout both of these series provides unity for each body of work while also depicting the figure as a character instead of as my own person.