Thesis Problem & Statement:
My work is attempting to delve beneath the jaded and hardened confines of the heart to reach the untouched territories where empathy and compassion abide. I am representing neurological disorders in a different way, through art rather than medical books or brain scans, through acceptance rather than rejection or discomfort. I am utilizing these disorders in a way that captures all of humanities flaws because whether one is challenged by a disorder or not, my work is a display of what it means to be human.
Artist Statement:
There is a little boy I know who is unable to speak, but is capable of communicating. He listens when being spoken to, but cannot always do what is asked of him. He is unable to run, but is capable of walking with support. He does not laugh when told a joke, but gives a genuine smile to anyone who says “hello”. He cannot tie a shoe, but has no trouble throwing a ball. He is capable of expressing emotion, but finds it difficult to do so at times.
This little boy is challenged by two neurological disorders, causing his brain to function differently than mine. Surely, he is incapable of many things, but just how different is he? Though I am capable of learning how to speak another language, I probably never will. I have a tendency to zone out when being spoken to and often forget what is being asked of me. Because of who I am as a person, I will more than likely never run in a marathon, I would much rather sit than stand, and throwing a ball is not my area of expertise. On good days, a few people laugh at my jokes. On bad days, there are times when I laugh instead of cry and cry when a joke is given, making me no better at expressing emotions than he is.
His brain, his vocal chords, his arms and legs, his hands and feet; it is not that these parts of him fail to function, these parts of him just function differently. I want my brain to do what his may have trouble doing, my voice to speak the words that he is unable to say, my hands to do what his cannot; to expose that humans are deeply and extraordinarily flawed beings created to strive no matter how disadvantaged we may be.
This little boy is challenged by two neurological disorders, causing his brain to function differently than mine. Surely, he is incapable of many things, but just how different is he? Though I am capable of learning how to speak another language, I probably never will. I have a tendency to zone out when being spoken to and often forget what is being asked of me. Because of who I am as a person, I will more than likely never run in a marathon, I would much rather sit than stand, and throwing a ball is not my area of expertise. On good days, a few people laugh at my jokes. On bad days, there are times when I laugh instead of cry and cry when a joke is given, making me no better at expressing emotions than he is.
His brain, his vocal chords, his arms and legs, his hands and feet; it is not that these parts of him fail to function, these parts of him just function differently. I want my brain to do what his may have trouble doing, my voice to speak the words that he is unable to say, my hands to do what his cannot; to expose that humans are deeply and extraordinarily flawed beings created to strive no matter how disadvantaged we may be.
Current Work:
Photography By: Lauren Bota - www.laurengabrielle.com
Past Work: