VANESSA ROMO 

STATEMENT

 

Transfixed by the complexity, I am drawn to contradictions. Finding links between subjective memory and fact, apathy and empathy, femininity and masculinity, fragility and strength, and beauty in the grotesque, have been the focus of my research. Rather than being restricted by the polarity of these pairings, my interest is in locating the relationship within in them. I experiment to see what results when these perceived boundaries are muddled; forced into a state of coexistence. 

 

I often feel at a loss for words and find myself using the figure as a vehicle to find them. Our perceptions are warped and fragmented, constantly being manipulated by internal and external forces. Quite literally, we only see ourselves in bits and pieces, an arm here, a leg there. This fragmenting/fracturing of ourselves, the world around us, and our bodies is a strong component in my work. My objects are a manifestation and response to my conditioned opinions of the female ideal and form, they act as commentary on the tumultuous and degrading state of women’s rights. 

 

Using clay as the foundation for skin, I’ve added an additional complexity by layering industrial and domestic materials such as, insulation foam, textiles, steel, and others. These seemingly opposing materials were chosen to further examine contradictions within the feminine and resist prescribed gender roles. Through self-examination I have restructured my perception of femininity. Now, these curiosities constructed of fragmented parts, oddly mended and strange, have become whole.