Abandoned (Series 3: Dysphoric Displacement)

Dysphoric Displacement is the third series which makes up this exhibition, expanding on the practice of decorating the rocks, an immersive repetition which becomes representative of the larger process at hand. Large garden pots and indigenous plants are additionally painted, arranged in combination with the decorated rocks to create dynamic site specific installations.

Abandoned (2020) is a site specific installation placed in the stark courtyard at the back of what use to be my childhood home.  The location was chosen to contrast the hostile, masculine environment to the feminine, elaborate designs of the decorated objects to create a discordant, jarring atmosphere.

This contrast is representative of my emotional state at my current time and place as a young adult trying to navigate a convoluted, constantly evolving world. The decorated rocks, plants and pots contrast their unpleasant environments, reflecting the displacement and isolation I often feel regarding my own surroundings. Through the combination of opposing elements a whimsical melancholy is created as magical fantasies meet hostile and ominous realities.

In this way, the specific process of decoration that I have adopted as my personal practice becomes a hermeneutic circle which imitates the nature of the natural lifespan. In this way, the meditative process of viewing the individual periods within my life helps me gain perspective and understanding of the bigger picture, which ironically brings new nuanced meanings to these isolated memories.

In hindsight, I understand my current practice to be an escapist method which allows me to evaluate my past and uncover what this entails for the present.