My Toy Horse
“To Love, To Lose” investigates the delicacy of life, the fear of losing, and the significance of loving. Within life comes losing, whether that be someone or something. Fear drives us all. I aim to challenge the ways of processing loss, the fear of loss, and the fear of being separated from a being, item, or part of yourself. Loving something is a significant part of living. Giving your time and thoughts to something to the point of fear of being without that thing. It’s terrifying and unavoidable.
The handmade ceramic frames give the photographs significance and elevates the subjects from an image, to something that has importance. Along with being framed, in each photograph the subjects are singled out and separated by each frame to signify the possibility of existence at a different time in space. The royal blue couch in the first image gives a sense of elegance and hierarchy. The way the frames are evidently hand crafted and painted, shows the innocence and childishness around the feeling of needing to hold onto these memories and objects.
The works are shown within empty bedrooms, with colorful walls with the essence of someone's life that was once there. The first framed images titled “Z and Hanukkah” picture my younger sister, Z, and our elderly cat, Hanukkah. They both are laying on the same blue couch, but separated by time and space. This work was derived from the feeling of existing in a space with the recollection of something, or someone in your past that you once shared the space with. As well as the feeling of dreading the future of what may come.
The second framed images titled “My Horse Toy”, picture a woman and her toy horse. Based on the idea of “dress up” and the plastic joys that we were once brought as children. The toy horse is something that is delicate and valued. Something to hold dear and safely near. This piece holds the fear of losing physical objects but more importantly, the dreaded fear of losing our playfulness.