complexities of loss
Living as many of us do, we have become alienated from the world of the dead and the dying. In our society we no longer see times of mourning, grief and loss as a time for growth and renewal. Because of our hectic lifestyles we are overwhelmed when we are confronted with loss. The rush of the everyday has left us with little time to confront our loss creating an inability to cope. My first memory of death was of my mother and her sisters behind closed bedroom doors shortly after the passing of their mother. I heard a symphony of heartbreaking cries, moans, laughter and unbridled joy. At the age of seven that myriad of emotions was beyond my comprehension. Recently when face with a tragic loss, I found myself confronting my own inability to cope. This current body of work comes from that discomfort. I began contemplating the spaces in our lives where we are allowed to acknowledge our loss. This installation becomes the space where my compulsive act of transferring and stockpiling family photographs as a means of filling the void of those departed, the stories left untold and the relationships prematurely broken, have their own presence. I’ve created a space where the myriad of emotion can be experienced and contemplated. The intention of this installation is to show the complexities and mysteries that come with grief, loss and sadness. It is a way of introducing myself to the world of loss and finding peace within the pain.
