Opening in Red and Blue

Concept

We live through and in our bodies, and our bodies are intricately tied to those who came before us and those who have bonds with us now. I strive to ascertain the experiences of myself and those around me and translate that experience onto a two-dimensional surface. I feel that my own personal history, the history of my ancestors, and my daily experiences are part and parcel of my lived experiences. As part of my work, I have conducted research into my own genetic history, exploring where my ancestors were originally from, where they migrated to through Viking slavery or other means, and where and how I now exist. Parts of our genetic code are passed down from generation to generation, and I feel that perhaps the experiences of my ancestors are somehow alive in me in a way. As a woman, I also call upon personal experiences as a mother who has experienced the pain of childbirth and the reconfiguration of the body to conform to the needs of our new generation, a unbroken line leading back to my ancestors and forward to my children. In my work, I explore how those visceral experiences have altered my physical body and my perception of myself. I also explore the history of art and reinterpret images of women by artists such as Rubens, Michelangelo, and the ancient Greeks and Romans in order to explore how the context of the female body has changed over time.