Patterns of limited elements: circles, thread, yarn and skin, are storytellers. Through concentrated meditative processes, I use these elements to explore and communicate emotions connected to a memory of a past experience as a healing ritual. I discover the marks life events leave behind and make them evident through a drawing on the skin or through the tension and imprint of a sculpture. In this series, it is important to know that I have done everything to myself in an act of self-definition. I am learning to own my past by re-experiencing events through visual meditation.

Usually my explorations on skin are presented in color photographs that turn the body into an abstract composition. I document temporary drawings of circles, which follow the contours of my body. Variety in the density, size and shape of the circles creates a map of emotion on the surface. Other photographs document sculptures, such as crocheted dreamcatchers stretched across my body, manipulating and pulling my skin. The red marks and scratches remaining once the sculpture has been removed are also documented. The placements of the circles or sculpture bring focus to a specific part of the body. For instance, marks concentrated on the heart, above the chest emphasize the source of breath. The marks I create interact and protect the body from the pre-existing patterns of painful memories. The relationships mapped when combining these elements share stories and explore a liminal state of residing between two stages of existence. Sharing my stories through the creation of these photographs is a personal healing process, discovering change while belonging to nothing and everything at the same time.

4.12.2008

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