Title
Creation Date
2019
Preview
Medium
plastic, acrylic rods, bubble wrap, foam sheets and found objects on wire mesh
Description
Dimensions: 60 x 36 inches
This piece is part of a larger work entitled Journey to the Edge.
Rights
© Melissa S. Anderson, 2019.
Exhibit Images
Keywords
assemblage, wall art, installation art, metal work, cancer, exploration
Artist Statement
Through sculpture, drawing and painting I enjoy exploring a wide variety of materials that are transformed into something that has significant meaning in a conceptual way. I am interested in bringing awareness to particular subject matters that are challenging, and life changing, along with exploring the natural world that surrounds us.
In my current body of work I have been investigating the destructive side of cancer and how it tears through the body. Along with looking at the oxymoron of the beauty of cancer cells and unique forms they create when they are broken down and put into a different context. By exploring life's reality in someway, gives resilience of the human will, and that there is HOPE. All of this has come through self-reflection from my own personal experiences.
"Journey to the Edge" is a conceptual sculptural painting, working through discovery, reality, and recovery. In this piece I transformed found objects and common materials such as torn paper referring to the idea of destruction. Found sweet gum seed pods were painted, enabling them to be reference as cellular forms. Tree bark was painted in multiple colors to create a sense of deterioration. Construction spray foam created organic shapes, conveying a sense of out of control cellular growth. The arrangement and presentation of these materials changed the materials context. By deconstructing and rearranging I wanted to show a triptych the story of being diagnosed with cancer, the brutal awareness of the reality, and the odds of survival. Then continuing the journey through surgery, and ultimately coming through it all, and showing the positive side of HOPE and happiness.