Ruin and Monument (Click Image to Expand Gallery)
The part of our lives that becomes our story after we die lies in the hands of others. Generations who never knew us may become familiar with the person they think we were through tales about us, photographs of us, spaces we once inhabited, and items we once owned. The stone heralding our existence over the ground where they lay us may be plain or elaborate, or there may be no stone at all. However, we must confront the inevitability that one day, we will no longer be able to affirm, deny, or defend what is said. Often, the story supersedes the life of the person, and some portion of truth and humanity is lost. This large-scale installation seeks to exclaim the monumentality of mere existence, regardless of our accomplishments, or lack thereof, in the human race. Making charcoal rubbings on paper of the tombstones of family members about whom I have heard many tales, I connect with an intangible part of my lineage in a tangible way. I incorporate these rubbings into energetic mixed-media works that convey a shadow of the stories I have heard. The chairs are incorporated to serve as a metaphor for the lingering humanity in these sometimes impersonal accounts.
