Fragmentation, 2024

This series is founded within the context of the October 25th mass shooting in Lewiston that left our community reeling in sorrow, fear, and mourning. In the days that followed, I found myself in a state of numb disbelief within the surreal limbo of lockdown. In an attempt to process my emotions, I turned to art. I created a series of 50 continuous line self-portraits that seek to illustrate my internal state of sorrow and uncertainty. These portraits became the foundation of my work which involved abstracting the original self-portraits using a variety of techniques and mediums.

I found abstract forms within the interconnected lines and pulled the found-forms out to create a series of new abstract portraits. I then traced, layered and collaged these portraits with pages from magazines. I cut away some of the forms to reveal either the layers of colorful paper beneath or light shining through the cut forms. Finally, I covered the abstractions with epoxy to provide a translucent finishing effect through which light can shine.

As a culmination to my work, I created a final piece composed of fragmented mirrors and stained glass. The material is fundamentally connected to the initial experience during the lockdown, because it incorporates the same fractured mirrors that I looked into while creating the 50 original self-portraits. I cut, reconfigured and redefined the mirrors into an abstracted self-portrait drawn from the forms found within the original sketches. The use of stained glass creates a transparent effect and enables the use of lighting that is a uniting element within this series. The reflective quality of the mirror actively engages and incorporates the viewer.

The series is an expression of my personal experience during the lockdown that explores themes of loss, mourning, introspection, and unity. This work is inherently political because of the foundational context of the mass shooting. It can be interpreted as a critique of gun violence, yet this message is not visually explicit within the work. The visual elements depict an abstraction of self-portraiture using cut-paper and collaging techniques to create fragmentation that is united through layering. The viewer might see abstracted facial features and piece together an assemblage of a visage. It visually articulates these themes through abstraction, fragmentation, layering, repetition, and an artistic process of perpetual discovery.