Moments of Desire
August 9th – September 6th
Philip J. Steele Gallery
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design
1600 Pierce St. Lakewood, CO
For my Senior show at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design this last Friday August 9th I curated a body of work that shows off not only my skills in oil painting but in relaying a message through indirect ways. I put together a statement below that you can read for yourself and get a good look at the work in person at the Philip J. Steele Gallery 1600 Pierce St. Lakewood, CO until September 6th.
Have you ever had a desire so palpable that was just out of reach? Imagine living in a body that doesn’t feel right, your mind seeking refuge when outside it feels like you’re trapped in your own skin. As you grow up everyone refers to you in a way that feels like a knife being twisted inside of you. Every glance in the mirror has a funhouse effect, enhancing the warps or bows in your figure you’re not comfortable with. You finally get the chance to change how you look and you take it, everything outside starts to confirm your identity but after a while you realize it’s not enough, it will never be enough. Each painting is a window into my own desires, past, present and future. From surface level ambition such as developing my technical skills in a video game to exposing the longing that lays deeper.
A conversation I had with a friend while painting this series was about the deep desire to rid oneself of dysphoria, to transcend social and physical restraints, and to become one with the image of oneself in one’s mind. These works speak to the underlying struggle between reality and deep, often elusive desires.
This struggle is not felt alone, these pieces speak to the universal human experience of searching for a place to belong and validate who you are. All throughout history people have wrestled with societal expectations, yearning to be free from the constraints our world has developed for us. My journey, mirrored in the works before you, is a testament to the never ending human condition. These works invite you to reflect upon your own desires, and to find solidarity in our shared humanity.
