What is the central idea of your concentration?
Interconnectedness is the central idea of my concentration. I wanted to explore the way that everything both in nature and society is connected and dependent on everything else. There are relationships between nature and animals, animals and animals, animals and humans, humans and nature, and humans and humans. I wanted to take a closer look at these relationships and try to display the interdependence of the world through my paintings.
How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea?
In order to explore interdependence as a whole, I wanted to not focus on only one kind of relationship, but take a look at all different kinds of connections. Among the relationships I considered, I conveyed nature and animal, animal and human, human and human, and human and nature dependences through my artwork. The Nest shows how birds rely on the sticks and strings and hairs of humans, other animals, and nature to build their homes. Also displaying animals and nature, I have my Bee Happy piece, showing a bee pollinating a Flower: relying on the pollen for honey and the flower relying on the bee to spread its seeds. Human-animal relationships are endless, including the loyalty and bond one forms with a pet (Puppy Love), our reliance on farm animals for food (Chicken or Egg Triptych, Got Milk), and wild animals relying on humans for food and comfort as well (Lunch with Chipmunk). In this day and age, humans are connected to each other more than ever. From our dependence on technology and always staying in touch (Text Me, Beep Me), to keeping up to date with the rest of the world via the news (Catching Up), to the special bonds between lovers, mothers, and children (Intertwined, Hello). Humans, although we consider ourselves so independent and self-sufficient, are by far one of the most dependent, and interdependent, species. Besides on each other and on animals, humans also rely on nature. These human-nature relationship pieces end my portfolio because our dependence on our planet is overarching and all encompasing: without the earth there would be nothing (See the World, An Apple a Day).