Exploring Childhood
How does childhood form you? What changes and what remains the same as you grow up? What specific memories stick with you?
Guiding Inquiry
This summer, when I turned 18, I realized that I was at a turning point in my life where I had to say goodbye to my childhood and welcome the world of adulthood with open arms. Only one issue—I still wanted to be a kid. I wasn’t ready to give up the freedom and happiness that my childhood had so much of. I needed a transition phase, something to soften the blow of unwanted change. I decided that my SI was the perfect opportunity for this retrospection I was looking for. My guiding question was how have I changed and remained the same since childhood? What specific memories stick with me?
Practice, Experimentation, and Revision
I experiment with materials such as expanding foam, children’s band aids, candle wax, to connect my work to the concept of play and childhood. Play was an important aspect of creation in my SI so that I could switch my head space to a more childlike one. Before each piece, I planned, brainstormed, and practiced using materials and techniques. Half of my SI tells stories from my childhood about significant memories from my past. Images 7, 8 work together to show how I have grown and changed over time through the surrounding objects and postures.
More about a few pieces (Selected Works)
Eighteen
Ideas Behind This Piece
This self portrait was made to snapshot who I am and what I identify with at this moment in time. The objects surrounding my head represent things that are important to me and currently have significance in my life.
Process
My posture, use of saturated colors, and use of glitter portray my personality and identity. As I get older, I want to be able to look back on this piece and be filled with a sense of nostalia and happiness.
Materials
Colored Pencil, Acrylic Paint, Oil Pastel, Glitter Glue, Paint Pen
Flushed
Ideas Behind This Piece
The purpose of this is to illustrate my perspective as a child when my dad told me my pet fish died. This was one of my first experiences with death, so it left an imprint in my memory.
Process
I used bright, saturated colors and glitter to show childlike innocence and lack of understanding. These elements contrast in dark subject once again to communicate innocence.
Materials
Acrylic Paint, Paint Pen, Glitter
Ephemeral
Ideas Behind This Piece
This piece is about how fleeting emotions can be, and how one emotion can quickly replace another.
Process
Tangible and textured materials present emotions in a tactile form, rather than in a conceptual one.
Materials
Expanding Foam, Felt and Various Other Fabrics, Wire, Safety-pins, Paper, Beads, Found Materials
Nicked
Ideas Behind This Piece
Process
Materials
This piece tells the story of the first time I tried to shave my legs and ended up cutting my hand. There is now a scar imprinted on my hand which reminds me of this story every time I see it.
In this piece, I layered to create dimension, and used bright imagery and colors to show this memory took place during childhood. To experiment, I used children's band aids as design elements and to add to the childish feeling.
Colored Pencil, Oil Pastel, Acrylic Paint, Children's Band aids, Glitter
The Same Cake
Ideas Behind This Piece
This piece is about how each year, the birthday cake stays the same but the number on top changes.
Process
To make this piece, I dripped wax from birthday candle to invoke a nostalgic feeling, and I collaged drawings of toys which connect to some of my childhood memories.
Materials
Acrylic Paint, Oil Pastel, Colored Pencil, Yarn, Found Paper, Candle Wax, Glitter