4.11.2023 - 4.21.2023
Lawrence Alloway Memorial Gallery, Stony Brook University
Video courtesy of Alexander Noll (Instagram @_an0ll_ )
Once & Future is a contemplative exploration of one's personal journey through space
and time, delving into the ways we revisit the past, anticipate the future, and come to terms with
it all. The artwork employs the imagery of physical movement as an allusion to temporal
progression.
and time, delving into the ways we revisit the past, anticipate the future, and come to terms with
it all. The artwork employs the imagery of physical movement as an allusion to temporal
progression.
A recurring motif in my work is the horseshoe crab, depicted in a left-to-right forward
reading direction, symbolizing movement through space. This inspiration comes from observing
horseshoe crabs from an aerial perspective as they navigate through water and mud. However,
the physical movement of the crab is not the sole focus of the artwork.
Once & Future features the forward-moving crab motif intersected by collage elements
on both gray-toned and white paper, breaking away from the traditional rectangular format. The
gray section represents the past and memory, while the white section represents the future and its
openness to possibility. The transitions between these sections denote distinct periods of time,
suggesting that the present exists in between them. This alludes to the idea that one's life path
does not have to be linear and that change is inevitable.
The gray portion of the drawing employs a more nebulous and uncertain use of charcoal,
mirroring the doubt, uncertainty, and haziness often associated with the past and memories. In
contrast, the white portion is rendered with more decisiveness yet retains an open quality,
representing the planned ideas and goals for the future, yet allowing for the unexpected. The
loosely rendered crabs and smudged marks leave room for the possibility of more detail as the
future eventually becomes the past, challenging the viewer to consider the cyclical nature of life's
progression.
While numerous horseshoe crabs are depicted in a Muybridge-style depiction of
movement across space, it is intended for the crab to be interpreted as a singular entity,
paralleling the artist's personal journey. The crabs are intentionally depicted with variations in
shape and size, inspired by the quote attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, "No man
ever steps in the same river twice. For it's not the same river, and he's not the same man." This
emphasizes that we are constantly evolving and changing as individuals, physically, spiritually,
emotionally, and mentally, and we cannot fully anticipate who we will become.
