Reclaiming The Distortion

Rediscovering one’s current self can be a long and difficult process. Reclaiming
the Distortion touches upon defining moments that directed the artist to this point in her
career. This series discusses the possibility of shaping one’s future based off of how
they perceive their past. By sculpting ourselves and our entities into authentic beings
each moment gives an individual the opportunity to become the author of their own
story. We have the choice of how to perceive each moment in life. Bad memories will
not define us, we have the choice to change the narrative.
The goal for this thesis, was to identify a way to physically transform the past into
appealing illustrations of my present and future self. By using phototherapy and art
therapy I developed a method that analyzed the layers of memories. Working with old
photographs, I photoshopped, printed, and transferred images onto 16” x 20” wood
panels. I then combined oil paint to the surface of the image to correlate aspects of the
present and past. After creating 9 different works of art, I was able to understand how
narratives shape one’s identity. The layers of contrasting feelings can form complex
perceptions of the past that can affect how one views the unknown future.