Hope , 110 x 77 x 58 cm
March 2017
Tracing paper, watercolour, fishing wire, hot glue
Hanging Installation
Artist Statement
When I started this project I had imagined a physical projection of what hope felt like. To me, hope was something evasive, something beautiful, and something that could change perspectives. Like many of my other projects, the form of “Hope” was improvised and the structure grew as more pieces were added. I had many initial sketches for the form of the work where they interacted with the audience but then I just decided to go with a more abstract form that people could simply look at. In combination with the cones, I also added some of my abstract marigolds. Inspired by the marigolds used in El Día de Los Muertos, I interpreted the form in a different way by using watercolour cutouts and decorated the piece with them. This was to represent the welcoming back of old ghosts as if to hope for the return of something lost but also to appreciate their presence and their memory. This was also an important part to my piece as it added more depth and personalised the experience when making it. I found myself really drawn to the shapes created by the cones. Since they were made from tracing paper, there was a kind of translucency to the piece when the light shined through and since I've used this material before in a previous project, I reminded myself of the importance of lighting. Hence, the reason it's a hanging installation. I pulled inspiration from the Japanese 1000 paper cranes as I found it would be fitting to combine eternal wishes with the concept of hope. I started by making 1000 paper cones out of tracing paper to match the paper cranes. I also kept in mind one of the traditional uses of the paper cranes. Traditionally, they were left out in the open so the elements would make do with them. Meaning that when the paper cranes tore away from the original strand, they were said to spread peace wherever they went. I took this concept and used it in my exhibition space by putting some cones around the space and between each project. This was so that I was somehow “making peace” with the products of my experiences from the past. It was really important for me to connect this project with the rest of my pieces because since it's my last year in a pivotal time of my life, I wanted to finish off the year with a clean slate. So to make peace with my other works was also a process of moving on from past experiences. From this piece, I hope that the audience manages to feel something similar as to what I felt when making this project. To perhaps forgive and let go of things from the past or to look forward to future endeavours with optimism.
