The Stories They Tell Us: A Visual Exploration of the Fairytales of Social Identity and Modern Myth
Exhibition dates: December 2 - 10 , 2021
Princess and the P, Oil Paint on Found Table Settings, 2021, $4611 (full set), 10% going towards Kwe’k Society
Extraction, Graphite on Clayboard, 2021, $1500, 10% going towards Colectivo Courage
Fairytales of Mexico, Graphite and Oil Paint on Paper, Found Books, 2019, $2250, 10% going towards BeLoved Asheville
Chivalry is Dead, Graphite and Gesso on Found Book Pages, Mounted, 2019, $1355, 10% going towards Community Bail Fund Asheville
Cloaks of Selective Visibility, Oil Paint on Netting, Brass Wire, Prefabricated Clothing Rack, 2021, $4600 (full set), 10% going towards Asheville For Justice
Flight of the Neotropical Migratory Bird, Graphite, Cold Wax and Mylar Emergency Blanket on Mounted Paper, 2020, NFS
Fabric Not of My Making, Chalk Pastel, Found Legislative Text on Cut Paper, Mounted, 2019, $1400, 10% going towards Mountain Area Abortion Doula Collective
Artist Statement
This body of work uses symbolism and visual language to explore contemporary construction of identity via the lens of fairy tales and folklore. At the center of this inquiry is the way in which identity and selfhood are created in a social context. Thus, both the study of social constructionism (how we create a shared sense of reality) as well as theories of narrative identity construction (how we understand ourselves and others in the framework of a narrative structure) underpin the work. In exploring these themes, the work is informed by both the visual and narrative canons of historical fairytales and folklore, as well as the contemporary more colloquial ‘fairytale’ of modern myth making. The written word, as one artifact of these narratives, plays prominently in the research as well as final execution of each piece. Additionally, the spoken word is utilized in the research of many pieces, as direct dialogues and interviews with the subjects of the works inform the conceptual direction, execution, and presentation. Using a variety of traditional as well as nontraditional media, this series is a collection of identities that have been shaped by the social narratives of western culture. It asks the viewer to question which narratives they subscribe to, which they break free from, and how those decisions shape their world.