The imagery for this mural/installation is influenced by the personal (real and imaginary) paths taken from 2006 to 2016, the years the artist considers most formative in transitioning from childhood to adulthood. This metaphysical mapping will include memories, places visited, dreams, portraits and other “sites/sights” considered influential on this ten-year road trip.
The artist writes: One thing I have learned in the unavoidable transition from childhood to adulthood is the process of facing everyday fears. Anxiety and mental illness are constant ghosts that have followed me around since I was very young, making everyday situations, at times, unbearable and frightening. As a child I retreated into a safe mental landscape, allowing myself an escape route into a world of comfort and security. My memories of youth are forever obscured with ideas of the fantastic and the impossible.
At that time, running away inside myself was necessary and at a very early age allowed me deep personal introspection and reflection. These thoughts broke down walls while confronting personal demons; real and imaginary monsters, in a kingdom of my own control. These experiences give my mind meandering pathways to whatever outcomes I could consider successful (or final). Sometimes these long and wandering roads lead into unknown territories of unexpected change and growth.
As I've become older and more adept at handling my anxiety, my mental landscapes have changed. In order to navigate these spaces I've used large-scale visual mapping, drawing, painting and collage to examine my mental environment and to plot out my thoughts. This process allows me to explore these images in a physical space, gaining new insights and perspectives.
These large scale mixed media landscapes is the exploration of ten years of personal transition and change. As the paper rolls out, so does the liner span of my life time. The paper is designed to fit any setting – as one adapts to any environment, so does the drawing. After the drawing is installed I have added additional details to complete the narrative up to that point in my life.
