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Show HONORS COLLEGE SPRING 2013 JakeMclntire Wendy Wischer 226 TRANSFORMED INTO OMNIPRESENCE Jake Mclntire (Wendy Wischer) Department of Art and Art History University of Utah During m y time at the University of Utah I have developed a body of work revolving around the dichotomy and coexistence of absence and presence. M y fundamental inspiration spurs from the death of m y Mother and a lost connection to religion. I understand absence and presence as reciprocal fluid states, which define one another. I use memory, ritual, and nostalgia as mechanisms to investigate the ephemeral nature of absence and presence. Transformed into Omnipresence is a continuation of m y conceptual explorations and a retrospective analysis of aesthetic decisions I made early in m y artistic practice. This reflective look backwards is an attempt to better understand my creative development, and a means to further analyze the commonalities present within m y portfolio. I approach this analysis based on the manipulation of symbols. My artistic process is not about attempting to create something new, but about rearranging and rearticulating what already exists in attempt to find different interpretations. I seek to ascertain an aesthetic and conceptual balance between existing and self-appointed symbolism and use a combination of freestanding sculpture and installation based environments to visually quantify the balance I see between absence and presence. I use materials and techniques that are conceptually multi-faceted such as: ash, gold leaf, candles, expansive vertical lines, and negative space. Transformed into Omnipresence will exist as an exhibition and as a written documentation of the process of creating a highly personal series of work including the editing and re-contextualization of past artwork. |