We’ll Always Be Together

The intimacy of loss and grief - the overwhelming presence of absence - is understood through the body of work in We’ll Always Be Together. Through paintings and interactive objects, I’ve chosen to exaggerate size and space to create a feeling of solemnness. This exhibition draws from memories of loved ones lost and the experience of sifting through possessions they left behind. The feeling of eeriness is complicated by the awareness of one’s own mortality, encouraging the viewer to think about what will be left behind after their
time comes.

In the large painting, Still, and the smaller Knick-Knack pieces, the viewer is faced with the reduction of human life to commercial goods and nostalgic objects. They are encouraged to reevaluate their relationship with memory
and grief, the oppressive and overbearing feeling of loss looming or trivialized in the form of familiar found objects.

The painted photographs in this collection, Inherited Collection of Memories, mimic the fading images of family and childhood within one’s mind. Each photograph is missing someone that was once included, yet it takes close investigation to realize this loss. This piece also creates an intimate space, requiring the viewer to bend down and interact, as if they were rummaging through their own family photos.

Loss itself is intimate and private, thus, the miniature bedroom and the largest pieces in this collection contain details that entice the viewer to get closer and form a personal connection. Each piece is tailored to investigate a feeling of loss and, in a way, the overwhelming presence of the absence of someone.