Autonomic
The artwork Autonomic is a series of eight inkjet prints each 7.5 by 11 inches. Each photo features different additive or subtractive mark making. Part of the imagery is etched, while additional scratch marks create negative space and texture. Violent scratch marks create negative space in the paper between painted areas where acrylic is blanketed to create an impressionistic surface. Several of the images in the series feature collage. Super glue drips down the image, contrasting against blurred windex, alcohol smudge marks and areas of wiped paste wax that distorts and transforms the image.
These eight photos derived from a large photo shoot of a sculpture. The piece was first displayed in the atrium of the sculpture department. Plaster dipped string hung from fishing line created a drawing in space. Plaster was poured into condoms filled with rocks to create large bulb pieces. The installation was held up by a peg board attached to the ceiling, where the weight of the piece was distributed evenly.
The original installation was documented with colored lighting. Red, blue, green, and yellow gels were used to cover the white lights to create a new experience. The photoshoot resulted in over four hundred images that used different combinations of the gel inserts and white lighting. From this photoshoot the prints were pushed even further into an additive and subtractive process, which led to the eight flatworks as the final iteration. The colors evoked an emotional and personal experience that created an intimate atmosphere.
Autonomic is a representation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and disorders such as autonomic dysfunction and brain trauma. The idea is developed from the study of a system of structure, and was pushed further into representing a system that has failed. The piece comes from a personal understanding of the “fight or flight” reaction relatable to humanity. The complexity of linear elements is a representation of the nervous system, and the bulbs represent the neurotransmitters that send one signal to the next. Autonomic dysfunction occurs when the ANS malfunctions, sending signals at the wrong times, creating symptoms such as irregular heartbeat and panic.
The artwork depicts neurotransmitters in the form of two bulbs facing each other to represent the passing of signals. All except one on the right of the composition, is connected. The broken pair, with one dangling neurotransmitter, symbolizes the dysfunction and the brokenness of the structure. The colored background transcends into an environment of emotion. Hand drawing techniques are employed to make the photos. The idea of scratching away at the image is to represent the idea of loss, the violent scratches represented the anger that can come from the broken structure. The addition of paint gives correction, the ability to alter a memory so that it is pleasurable. The addition of collage creates messiness and confusion. The glue and chemicals are harmful to the nerves, and show the damage through other means. The completed images create an intimate bond that is a recognizable experience.
The Process
