Inspiration
In February of 2011 my grandfather on my mom's side passed away from heart failure. Although his passing was sad it was also long time coming. The man had been diagnosed with at least 90% of his heart's arteries blocked in 2002 and I honestly think it was his inability to accept death as the eventual outcome of life that kept him going for 7 more years...that and he was possibly the most ornery man you ever met. Once he had an idea in his head, however ridiculous it was, no one could stop him from doing it and trust me there were a lot of ridiculous ideas. My mom took the news well and if she didn't I would have never of known. That woman has always been quietly protective of me and has always made sure that my needs come first however superficial they are. In the aftermath of my grandfather's passing many random bank accounts with handfuls of dollars were discovered, piles of bills were found that had been saved since the 1960s, and possibly the most daunting task was the house my grandfather had grown up in and died in remained untouched since the 1950s. In the family since the mid 1800s it truly is a structural nightmare but a family heirloom at the same time. The kitchen floor is slowly caving into a poorly capped well under the foundation, spiders have made permanent homes in the corners of the rooms, and bits of plaster where the honey bees made their nest in the wall one year still drift to the floor. In all honesty it isn't safe for my 80 something grandma to still be living there by herself. So the task of cleaning out the house and its masses of antiques has fallen to my mom and my aunt. This past fall my mom returned from Illinois with beautiful pieces of china, my great grandmothers 1920s hats and a stack of photographs. As I put a dusty limp hat on my head I began looking through the photographs and feeling the magnitude of my family's history one can only feel when we think about the long line of people that came before us.
For these works of art I wanted to incorporate a part of my familial heritage as well address some of my current interests. Recently I have been researching food additives and their effect. I knew they were in there but I happily turned a blind eye for a long time. You must also know that I have a deep undying love for Diet Coke. It has been a staple in my life since I can remember and I share many fond memories of watching my dad polish off a six pack of diet coke in a day and wondering if that man ever drank water (the answer is no). It was a rough blow when I realized those big words on the Diet Coke can was preservatives and chemicals. I sadly had to shelf my Diet Coke addiction in hopes for a longer healthier life. I also knew that I had to use these images I had just discovered somehow. When looking through the stack of photos my mom had returned with I couldn't help but immediately love the photo of her and her sheep as a young girl. Partly because it makes me feel a little better that I am not the only one who has suffered their whole life with chubby legs but also because I love that my mom, a person I have never even seen remotely close to a sheep or any livestock for the matter, used to raised and show them as a kid
For these works of art I wanted to incorporate a part of my familial heritage as well address some of my current interests. Recently I have been researching food additives and their effect. I knew they were in there but I happily turned a blind eye for a long time. You must also know that I have a deep undying love for Diet Coke. It has been a staple in my life since I can remember and I share many fond memories of watching my dad polish off a six pack of diet coke in a day and wondering if that man ever drank water (the answer is no). It was a rough blow when I realized those big words on the Diet Coke can was preservatives and chemicals. I sadly had to shelf my Diet Coke addiction in hopes for a longer healthier life. I also knew that I had to use these images I had just discovered somehow. When looking through the stack of photos my mom had returned with I couldn't help but immediately love the photo of her and her sheep as a young girl. Partly because it makes me feel a little better that I am not the only one who has suffered their whole life with chubby legs but also because I love that my mom, a person I have never even seen remotely close to a sheep or any livestock for the matter, used to raised and show them as a kid