Family Portrait

Family Portrait, 2018
65 1/2 in x 33 in x 42 1/2 in
Wood, string, and metal

The concept of collective representation is immersed in orientation and absence through this work. The family ties, events, and time periods that would be so prominently displayed in a family home are simultaneously condensed and expanded with actual as well as tricks of visual space. The wall placement helps with this illusion of space elongation, while mimicking a hallway where you might expect to see family photos hanging. On the other hand, the frames not only block your path through, they play a trick on your eyes as they focus them on the interior “image” compressing the space. This compression causes a questioning or a reflection on the relationships of each element and of the strings found at the center and trailing out from behind the panel.