It feels so amazing to have everything done. I have a total of 18 pieces in the show: 14 photographs and 4 photos. I am so happy with how everything turned out.
"Guardian" "Protector"
Sadly, the bear mask was stolen.
"Leader" "Shapeshifter"
Artist Statement:
Growing up, animals were part of my everyday life. I rode horses, cared
for cats and dogs, and even had a pet rat named Bergy. I was always getting
distracted playing with geckos, garden snakes, and toads. Always comfortable
with earth’s creatures, they became my friends. From ten to eighteen years of
age, I experienced a traditional Native American sweat lodge on eight separate
occasions. During the spiritual event we chanted, sang, and howled to our
animal guardians.
Relative to this indigenous experience, I recently read Animal Speak,
by Ted Andrews. The book reveals insights into how to recognize the spiritual
essence of an animal through its behavior. A power animal is the representation
of a person’s spirit. When reading about a lioness’ predatory nature and their
ability to cooperate with each other, I began identifying with this feline.
Kiki Smith reveals an instinctual bond between mammals. For
example, “Born”, is the sculpture of a female deer giving birth to a fully mature
woman. Like Smith, my work characterizes a feral relationship between a human
and an animal.
In the photograph, “Independent”, my mother’s portrait merges with the
painterly strokes of acrylic that suggest her spirit, the bald eagle. The plaster
sculpture, “Protector”, is a dialogue between my boyfriend and the brown bear.
Close up, the individual uniqueness of the suspended pair of facemasks are
revealed; viewed from a distance, the mask and life cast blend and unite into one
visual component. Each pairing is a personalized narrative description of my
loved ones and their power animals.
