My Skeletons Prefer the Kitchen

Abstract

I will be creating a painting installation that, using primarily acrylic paint and found cabinet doors, was inspired by the following quote from Howard Thurman: “Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Conceptually, the project has diverged from the quote and become a series of “portraits” of what would be inside my cabinet or the cabinet of someone I know that inspired me. I will be further researching how this connects to Thurman's quote as well as creating a specific artist's statement that gives the viewer insight on how to interact and interpret the installation. Visually, I will be collecting found cabinet doors, drawers, etc. to paint on and creating imagery using acrylic as well as pages from my sketchbooks, letters, photos, and anything that is important to visualizing the concept. The cabinets will be installed in a cluster around a corner of a room. The doors will open. Images, whether paint or collage, will be on both sides. Across the room from the cabinets will be seating and a table of some sort with a handmade book that contains process imagery, research information, or anything important to the concept. The furniture will be painted as a continuation of the cabinets. The installation will be interactive. The audience will be encouraged to open the doors and flip through the book.