Studio Project: Documentation Post 📸
Title: "Full of Wonder"
Materials: Tagboard, construction paper, cardstock, various collected items
Dimensions: 9.75 x 11 in.
Artist Statement:
🎨 I so enjoyed getting to know Joseph Cornell’s work this semester! This piece is entitled “Full of Wonder” and I intended for it to reflect the way Cornell looked at the world with the wondering eyes of a child. I also wanted to combine two of the main themes of his work: childhood nostalgia/games and travel. This box encapsulates my personal childhood memories of summer road trips with my family. Each of these items were carefully chosen to represent different aspects of our trips, so that the end result is like a 3D scrapbook. These items represent my love of God’s creation and our National Parks, as well as the way my imagination was able to run wild and free as the road went by. As we drove, I was often either immersed in a book or riding my train of thought as I listened to travel playlists. These trips (and the items I collected on them) fed my imagination and created treasured memories with my family. I wanted these items to act like puzzle pieces; put together, they create a window of my past, a picture of my childhood wonder and curiosity, and a reminder of the little objects that can tell our stories.
🎨 I’ll be honest, this piece was a harder one for me. I don’t think of myself as a collector like Joseph Cornell; I’m not one to have little bits of paper, toys, and other ephemera sitting around. I’m not really a collage-er either. But as I studied Cornell’s works and started making this box, I realized how many little collected pieces of the past I have. In a way, this project reminded me of the child still within me, the little girl who found wonder in hotel key cards and mini dolls and polished rocks. And I remembered how she’s still the foundation of who I am. I might be more of a minimalist now, but I still love mini things, and I still have a creative, imaginative spirit. I’m still moved by music and stories and nature. This project provided me a window into my past, and it gave me an opportunity to communicate with Joseph Cornell––one of my new favorite artists. :)












