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 Childhood Building Block Series
This series takes a lighthearted and youthful approach to
self-portraiture. The use of my childhood building blocks brings a
sense of preciousness and nostalgia. The most basic function of the
blocks: to construct, leads to unique arrangements and interesting
juxtaposition of the painted eyeballs, earlobes and other features.
The blocks become the perfect media to capture more than just the
outside image of the self-portrait, but give insight to the depth
and interplay of expressions and thoughts. The paintings become
sculpture as they are stacked so as to create different planes. In
turn they invade the viewer’s space, growing outward and across the
wall.
I have combined the painterly portraits with playful and colorful
doodles. Their abstract and almost nonsensical nature represents
daydreams, creativity, and fleeting thoughts. These blocks are
detailed with the delicate use of glitter and gold filaments, adding
to the preciousness of my treasured blocks.
The creation of this series of self-portraits causes me to recall
those memories that illustrate my self. A mixture of emotions,
physical features and significant experiences are portrayed in the
series. My first year in college I could always be seen with a
flower tucked behind my ear, and when I was eight, I cried because I
found out the truth about Santa Claus. These blocks now have my own
visual imprint on their surface, allowing the viewer to experience
what I have chosen to express through oil paint and mixed media.
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