College of Staten Island B.F.A. Senior Projects
 

I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, a monolith of a borough, where the term ‘melting pot’ is visually active. From installations to graffiti left in the subway, the life of Kings County is bursting from the seams. Everyone brought an ingredient to throw in, no matter how big or small. We come together to make a community, a family. However, one moldy component can turn a dish sour and completely change the outcome of the pot. Generational trauma latches onto families as they try their best to balance the inconsistencies of their happiness while staying afloat in a chaotic environment. They wish to be in another place, disconnecting themselves from reality. This work is a reflection of the roaming's of your frontal cortex. Directing attention to a fantasy that people use as a form of escape, one unknowing sink deeper into psychological turmoil.  

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The work starts with diving into my worldly desires: a perfect home, the person who would stick by me, what can I change about the environment where I drive or walk? How do I get away from the bleakness of my reality? I lay on my back and sketch: pencil, charcoal, chalk or oil pastels, scrambled words on my notepads, anything I can use to experiment or play with as if they were Legos. Transitioning from my fantasies into functional reasoning, I gather information from studies of the human psyche. An example of this would be the scattered star-like creatures, representing the distracting thoughts frolicking about, interacting within the pieces of the dream world. 

 

We convince ourselves how well we know others, our friends, families, and even ourselves. People flit through their daily lives, dreaming the day away to numb the banality of their waking world. This practice of fully leaning into our daydreams will loosen our stability in body and mind. It can get to the point that you may not recognize your dreams from reality.