In my work, the juxtaposition of random realistic imagery creates a narrative of the journey from past to present. By methodically rendering graphite into realistic figurative and inanimate imagery, memory transforms into comprehension. As the unconscious bridges the gap a dialogue opens with the conscious; memories that had been fragmented become connected.

 

The unconscious reveals memories, ideas, and thoughts from fragmented sections of the mind and sends them on neuron pathways to the conscious. According to noted psychologist Carl Jung, humans remember all experiences that are encountered in life. Due to the complexity of the mind, these experiences and memories are stored fragmented in different areas of the mind. My work explores these fragmentations and the way in which they interact with each other to form collective narratives. I work with graphite to create an achromatic palette that stimulates the sensory viewing experience and draws attention to the collective imagery. An automatic response of thoughts construct the memories of forgotten pasts into narratives. These narratives express isolation, pain, fear, and the innocent. Since the unconscious does not have a rational understanding of process and order, pieces of imagery contradict each other but build upon the narrative of different memories. The conscious views the work and gives the images priority and rationality. Experience becomes the process in which the conscious mind evaluates the imagery and connects meaning.

 

As the fragmentation of the unconscious is pieced together in my conscious, memories of my past transcend onto paper through the layering of graphite. My past experiences, although distorted over the years, gain further meaning as the images are juxtaposed to form various narratives of my past. My work is a journey through the unconscious mind and the way in which memories are processed.