forms of relief

Abstract

I am calling this paper, and the body of work that it supports: forms of relief. The word relief has a couple of meanings: in the sculptural sense, the Latin root word relievo means to “raise or to lighten”, visually resulting in sculpture that combines two- and three-dimensional forms, where the sculpture remains supported by a background of the same material. Relief as an emotion, means to feel a lightness after a period of anxiety, stress or pain has been experienced and has passed. The artwork in my thesis examines the dual reality of relief and chronic pain through material and conceptual explorations. To live with chronic illness often means to live in friction with the hyper-performance of modern western society; to live in resistance to behaviors of individualism, acceleration and competition. It is my opinion that the labour of illness is connected to every other aspect of an ill life. For me, this raises questions about the role that art can play in cognitive and physical restoration practices. What can communicate ideas of imperfection, simulation, trust, time, and importantly, support? How can I both maintain my physical well-being, and my love of building things and fabrication? The sculptures in this exhibition manifest the ideas, philosophies, physical labour, energy expenditure, conversations, research and heart that has made up the last two and a quarter years of my life as I worked to heal and rehabilitate my body and mind, in tandem with making the art presented here.