Landscapes Through His Eyes: Grief Landscapes
Artist Statement
On Valentines Day of 2017, my best friend lost
his battle to depression and took his life.
He was born and raised in Stroudsberg, PA,
smack in the middle of the Appalachian
Mountains. The weekend following his death,
I traveled to his families home. On the drive
there, as far as the eyes could see were
beautiful hills, mountains, and farmland.
Sights that I personally did not see everyday
but gave me comfort knowing that he did. After
his death, I began to sculpt the landscape of his
home.
The main heart of this project is centered
around four large scale grief drawings. These
are based out of painful direct responses,
moments and movements of the grieving process.
As the series continued in a smaller scale, the pieces
which were once chaotic and frenzied begin to become
more clearer and more vibrant.
Loss is difficult. It is choking, paralyzing and altogether crippling. In a way these drawings are my way of communicating with him. Of telling him, I’m still here, and listening and watching.
His eyes were donated. Someone is literally seeing through his eyes. This brings me an enormous amount of joy.
In this series I also see through his eyes.
Sandcastles
Mixed Media
2017