Stephanie Persaud

THESIS: Take a Walk with Me

With photographs I have taken through the years in Canada, I was able to create a collage that resembled a fabricated landscape. Utilizing the collage as a base, I took the artistic liberty to portray this piece like a story. In the beginning, things are easy to remember, then it becomes blurry in the middle but the most intriguing things can be remembered, and then towards the end, they become memorable again. With this concept in mind, it is evident in my thesis by the progression of fully painted panels in the beginning to the degradation of panels and back to fully formed panels. In addition, the spaces between the panels represent the gaps in peoples' memory. I have always been interested in nature and human psychology. I wanted to be able to recreate an experience of nature that mimics the way people interact with it but also introduces a new form of incorporating nature into art. Through my interpretation of the ways humans can connect with nature, I welcome you to take a walk with me...

“Land AcknowledgmentI want to acknowledge that the inspiration for this artwork is based on the traditional land of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinabewaki, Mississaguas of the Credit First Nation, Mississauga, Wendake-Nionwentsïo, and Omàmìwininìwag (Algonquin) Peoples past and present. Artist StatementHumans have always had a deep connection with nature. My work draws from the experiences and emotions we have when immersed in nature on a walk. This piece consists of 9 wood panels arranged to create a panoramic view. When placed together, this work follows a trail with a variety of sculptural elements that can be touched along the way.”