phd exhibition

finding/making home

The following images are taken from the final exhibition for my PhD in practice-based research and accompanied the written dissertation. 

My research questions primarily dealt with the sense of the transcendent in the experience and desire for home. As my research developed, I discovered how a sense of home can be created through daily rhythms and rituals. My questions expanded to reflect a discovery in my understanding of home as a point of connection between people as well as with the divine – a space for the eternal creation of wholeness. 

The exhibition was laid out such that the bulk of the work appeared on three main walls of the gallery space. In the centre of the room were two display cases, with the works Rilke Sun Concertina and Driftwood Works, respectively. On either side of the display cases were six tables; each table representing a method I used in my research. 

In brief, the six processes are gold leaf, drawing, printmaking, letterpress, writing, and photography. Each of these processes were essential to the thought process and completion of the works. 

Gold leaf was used most significantly as a metaphor for the sensation of being at home and/or in the presence of the divine. 

Drawing is always foremost in my artistic practice; and is the vehicle primarily used for my initial thoughts and explorations. 

 The work also utilized two specific printmaking techniques: reduction printing and engraving. Both forms involve carving a plate and then applying ink, though the process differs slightly in each case. The act of carving into the plate reflected the exploration of my thoughts and assumptions about home, destroying one image in order to build a new one. 

The works also explore use of the letterpress to experiment with two liturgical Christian prayers and the impact of repetition on sensations of belonging.

Throughout the research process I kept artistic journals full of images, sketches, quotes, and thoughts that eventually became works and the final product of the written thesis. Writing in this format is an essential part of my creative process. 

As part of the documentation of process, I took intermittent photos of my work table at home in various states. Additionally, I documented my morning and afternoon coffees using a polaroid camera. Both of these documentations provided symbols of my research process and the daily rhythms I kept during this time.