Weighted Memories

 Weighted Memories

 The Address label of my current location and the location where I am about to move.  If you were to open the box the label would be cut in half signifying the separation from Steilacoom to Arizona.

The empty Arizona side of the box.  If you were to look through the key hole you would see a dark abyss of emptiness representative of my lack of memories associated with Arizona.

The Steilacoom side of things.  The Steilacoom side is filled with roughly 25 pounds of plaster signifying the weight of emotions I have associated with Steilacoom.  Since I am moving the side has a lock on it to show how this side of memories is now locked in my mind which can only recall  alimited representation of my life the past tow years.

This picture was taken to show how the two sides work with the image of the box.  The "top" of the picture is the Arizona side.  The "bottom" is the Steilacoom Side.

Weighted Memories- Artist Statement

During the artistic process of this assignment, I began to realize that a place moves from topos to chora because of the weight a person gives that place.  That "weight" is the memory or emotion behind a place that makes it memorable in either a good way or a bad way.

As mentioned in one of my other posts, Steilacoom has played a significant role in my life the past two years.  Since I am about to move to Arizona I have been reminiscent of all the wonderful memories I have made here.  This internal dialogue is what I wanted to explore in this project.

I chose to use a APO flat-rate box as the basis of my project because of my husband leaving me in Steilacoom while he was deployed to Iraq for a little over a year.  I got to know the postwoman of Steilacoom a fare amount due to how many packages I sent.  On the address label there is my address of Steilacoom listed as well as my new address in Arizona.  If you were to open the box, the addresses would be separated much like I am being separated from Steilacoom to go to Arizona.

On one side of the box there is Steilacoom depicted in tissue paper and Arizona is on the other side.  I chose decoupage of tissue paper because you have to physically rip the material to create color, texture, and form.  I unwilling have to move to Arizona so I am  consider myself to be ripped from this place I have grown to love.

On the Steilacoom side I place a lock and on the Arizona a door knob.  The lock is a literal interpretation of the memories that will be locked in my mind of Steilacoom.  With the move I can no longer add any memories either--so the city is locked to me.  The door knob on the Arizona side is for the door that is opening in Arizona which may be filled with good memories or possible bad-- Either way it will be filled.

If you were to lift the box you would fill how uneven in weight the box is.  On the Steilacoom side there is roughly 25 pounds of plaster signifying the "weight" I have given to Steilacoom.  If you were to look through the key hole on the Arizona side you would see that side of the box empty, filled with nothing.  I have yet to make memories there and have no idea what to expect so the emptiness conveys the uncertainty and the potential for loneliness.

I am really happy with how the project turned out.  It has been very therapeutic for me to examine my subconcious of the emotions and fear it has for the huge change in my life.

The sunset of my mind

For my wet medium I chose to draw a sunset of my mind.  This sunset is perhaps beautiful but I wonder if I would actually like to be there to see this sunset.  To me it seems hot and intrusive.  There is no boundary to the land which is lonely and expansive. I chose to cut my paper into a circle symbolizing the limitless boundaries of not only the land but the sun as well.

 I really enjoyed using oil pastels for this piece.  I liked pushing the blending of the medium and found the long horizontal strokes relaxing to execute.

Man-made Beauty

I am sorry the image is vertical. ON my computer it uploaded the correct direction but when I was trying to upload the image to the site it would not upload the image horizontally.

For the dry medium landscape assignment I had planned on using this drawing.  As I was walking around Sunnyside Beach in Steilacoom I noticed that what made up the "ambient array" of the landscape picture were all things man made.  There is the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the right, the Ferry to the left, and railroad tracks directly behind you.  Even the beach itself is man made.  The more I thought about it, the sadder I found it to be because it seemed like the town of Steilacoom had created this landscape image.  

As I was walking along the beach, I noticed this piece of rusted iron.  It reminded me that there is nothing man made that is stronger than nature.  I thought the texture and color really captured the texture of the beach and the tone of the landscape.  

I chose not to produce this as my final work because it was hard to create form and fine lines with a sharpie marker.  I really like how the piece turned out, I just thought it did not fulfill the goal of the assignment.

Being Torn from the town I love

The "map" below shows some of the important places in Steilacoom.  I use paper mache to create a "torn" look.

Steilachora

On May 10, 2009 I left everything I knew following a boy to a state I knew nothing about.  People told me I was crazy.  People told me I would be lonely.  People told me I was too young.  Just over two years later I find life taking me to another state following the same boy leaving all that I have here behind.  The difference this time is that I have no desire to leave.

I have called Steilacoom “home” for the past two years and it will always hold a very special place in my heart.  They day I arrived I walked down to Sunnyside Beach falling in love with the area ever sense then.  The prettiest sunsets, the foggiest of days, the darkest of winter all fall upon Steilacoom.  I have traveled all over the lower 48 and have not seen anywhere that matches the majesty of Steilacoom.

The town feels remote isolated from I-5 with limited amenities provided; but the town has marked significant events in my life causing an emotional attachment to the area.  The day after I turned 21, October 25, I went to Jake’s Bar, which then only served beer and nachos, where I got hooked on really good beer.  Ever since then, we have become use to good Northwestern beer.  The day where my life changed forever, July 17, took place at the Steilacoom Town Hall when I married my husband in a very private ceremony of just us and our two brothers with the sun setting behind the cascades.  The day after my husband left on deployment, September 12, I went to the post office where the postwoman came to know me on a very personal and vulnerable way during the next 13 months.  She joined me in celebration and sadness with each box adding to the story of the past year.

Coming to a place where I knew no one, I now have community and a love for the place.  The town was the beginning of our life together as one flesh.  The majority of our time was spent at the dog park, on Chamber Creek Rd, or at Sunnyside beach.  All of the times when my husband was in training or deployed the city of Steilacoom opened its arms and held me.  The town not only became my home but my stability and a reminder of the beauty of God’s creation and his love for me.  My days here are limited now and it breaks my heart.

The Movement of Nature

Gesture Interpretation of Sunnyside Beach

We were asked to create a dry medium drawing of a landscape.  I really like how my gesture captured the texture of the area.  It is a beautiful location.

I am here in Steilacoom

For the past two years I have called Steilacoom Home.  This map shows that I am here and the importance that the town holds in my life.

I am not smarter than a 5th grader

Attempt at free handing the United States

During class we were asked to drawn a map of the United State and answer a series of questions.  I think it would have been really amusing to attempt to draw all 50 states with in the outline.

Photos of my inspiration for the first couple of assignments

Sunnyside Beach and Park in Steilacoom has become a very important place in my heart.  It was the inspiration for my first two projects of the quarter. Below are some pictures of the beautiful area.

Southwest view 

Northwest View

Northeast View