Unconscious Aspects

 

Unconscious Aspects references Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell’s archetypes along with the cycle of the Hero’s Journey exploration as well as comparisons to mythological stories.

I closely observed common patterns and archetypes throughout the process of making these sculptural figures.  Each conveys the cycle of the hero’s journey while recontextualizing mythology through an examination of the hero myth narrative.  The shadow figure is overcoming the “self” confused and wanting to find the truth.  Wisdom, symbolized by an owl, wards off the shadow creating a balance between the two figures, (self-love and truth). Materials chosen represent the human relationship with nature, power, and self.

The materials employed are natural, such as wood and sticks as well as metal and industrial parts. I use branches representing the self-figure emphasizing the strong and natural, as well as the fragility of both. Steel rods are used in opposition to the natural material creating tension and a fiercely stubborn look for the shadow figure. Both materials intertwine within the body of the owl creating unity for the installation as a whole. Throughout the installation I use gestures within the figures creating narrative relationships that form when the two are in unison. The “self” figure being confused and in doubt finding the truth. The shadow figure being judgmental and pompous. I am also investigating the relationship of the human body to space.

Metanarratives and archetypes are embedded in culture appearing in both literature and movies as well as throughout the world serving as humanity’s metaphors. The shadow traits are not equivalent to so-called “bad traits.” These traits maintain everything unknown about the self, representing the light, dark, neglected, and future aspects of an individual. Individual growth occurs upon balancing the shadow with the whole psyche. Balance acts as the moral through the hero’s journey

[2018]

The Self —Branches, Rice Paper, Twine, and Epoxy

The Shadow —Steel Rod

The Owl —Branches, Steel Rod, Rice Paper, Twine, and Epoxy