Faculty of Art

Cross-Disciplinary Art: Life Studies

Olivia Pare

Untitled

A non-functional vanity. There is a mirror obscured by nylon, and a shelf with nonsensical and dangerous objects: a twisted, amorphous body with projecting needles threatening viewers. In the foreground, a plinth with a thimble confronts audiences.

“Personal, familial processes, sewing and other textile fabrication techniques for example, are often present in my work as symbols of inheritance, tradition, and as devices for self exploration. Also frequently inherited among my family are partially genetic mental health disorders, specifically borderline personality disorder. These concepts intersect in this work: identity disturbance, a major symptom of BPD, is expressed through an amorphous, hand-sewn, bodily mass sitting on a shelf that simultaneously invites the viewers to touch it and threatens them with projecting needles. Undulating, skin-like forms and soft fur provoke investigation: intentional, caring touches (such as petting or gently holding) that are ultimately unproductive. Without proper attentiveness, the needles might prick or scrape hands - so the audience leaves the piece wounded, and just as confused as they approached it. The amorphous body is no more comprehensible than it was before, and attempting to understand it was a potentially painful process. A mirror that hangs above this form, shrouded in fabric and obscuring the reflection of those who stand facing the work, completes an almost exact replica of the vanity in my home where I get ready every day. Through this installation, the daily reality of living with BPD and the resulting identity disturbance is recreated for viewers. Materialised is the perpetual, confusing, and frustrating longing for, and repeated attempts to form a stable identity when you suffer from an illness that aims to waver it. A thimble on a plinth prefaces the whole thing, not only to suggest that the work is for touching, but to pose questions. How do I equip myself before I try to engage with something that might cause me pain? Is this even relevant? Is getting wounded a given, necessary step in the process of self-discovery? ”