The works coincided with my PTSD being triggered, shaping the creative process into an embodiment of that experience, where my body was a site of knowing, doing and the subject matter. When triggered, my hands gravitate to drawing and crocheting, skills engraved in childhood as tacit knowledge. The mindfulness of repetition and attention to detail ground me in the present moment, shielding and empowering me. The experience of PTSD can defy explanation and in creating the works, my aim was to capture affect and to express the ineffable, the sensations of being triggered, mindfulness and release.
Triggered, charcoal and graphite on paper, depicts a bee with an exposed stinger hovering near two hands enfolded in an emotive grasp. The medium of charcoal and graphite were chosen for its simplicity and immediacy and the bee is personal symbolism. Mindful, oil on paper, depicts two hands serenely suspended from the paper holding a crochet hook. The pinkie finger bears the tattoo ‘BITE ME’, challenging the conventional notion of ‘women’s work’ and the crochet hook is a metaphor for a shield and sword. Release, cotton on tulle, depicts a hand releasing a bee in flight. The work is explorative, employing unconventional stitching to juxtapose the detail in the prior works, aiming to guide the viewer towards a deeper meaning. In creating the works, I was inspired by the use of personal symbolism of Jono Dry, the surreal juxtapositions of Michael Zavros and the embroidery of Kathrin Marchenko.
Valuable feedback from my peers during the class critique, notably, a recurring theme of piercing in Triggered and Mindful, prompted reflection and the use of embroidery as the medium for Release. I contemplate whether my embodied knowledge for attention to detail inadvertently restrains me or whether it can act as a catalyst to be explored with iterations and embracing surrealism. My arts practice`is an embodied practice and the potential lies within as I am learning to express the silent knowledge held in my body to create meaning in my works.
Rachel Wolfe
5 August 2023
Rachel Wolfe is an emerging artist based in Hobart, Tasmania, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Tasmania. With a diverse and evolving practice, Rachel explores various mediums and techniques to create captivating and thought-provoking works of art. To explore Rachel's latest projects and artistic journey, visit her website www.rachelwolfe.com.au or follow her on social media.
An Embodied Practice as written for assessment, Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of Tasmania, Subject: FSA124: Critical Practices - Bodies, Assessment Task 1: Three Hands and Reflective Artist Statement
Comments