Blind

WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Lauren Jacqueline Whitley (Creator)
Institution
Western Carolina University (WCU )
Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
Advisor
Marya Roland

Abstract: I am interested in moments of disassociation that create memory; shadows and peripheral information found between elements make up the real content of my art. The work comes from dreams, memories, and writings. The writings are visual sketches of places I find myself, it is a particular symbolic code derived from the combination of emotion/intuition and a place. For my thesis show I created an installation that conveyed information through a series of blinds both physical and sensory to lead the viewer into an experience of exchange with their physical surroundings while still being guided by specific visual content. The piece, titled Blind, is modeled after blinds such as the type used by hunters to hide themselves while hunting, specifically a duck blind, which is constructed in a hut shape out of grassy materials. It relates to an earlier installation done in 2009 where I constructed a hut/dwelling out of bamboo modeled after the duck blind form. I am drawn to the shape and thematic content of the blind because of its protective and defensive qualities. For this project I wanted to add several more layers of blinds to serve as both obstructions and possible entry points to the work. The work is centered on the sensation of triggered memory, to examine the connections between the visual signs and language within the content of my work, and the way in which one phrase can have multiple meanings depending upon its usage.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 2011
Keywords
gallery space, hunting blind, installation, memory, obstruction, process
Subjects
Installations (Art)

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