My practice seeks out the imprint, the record of exposure, inscribed on an object by a past life. In choosing to work with used clothing and textiles, there remains evidence of a previous owner. Stains, smudges, loose threads, discolouration: through repeated use, there is an accumulation of trace.

Using processes of unpicking, unthreading and disassembling the corporeal dimension is exposed. The forensic investigation of an object stems from a desire to understand how it is formed. Equally it is related to a desire to uncover the remaining trace of someone. Through this dissection the object can no longer perform its original function. I am interested in the futility that results from reducing an object to its essential parts. This can be linked to how we search in vain for the trace of a person in their belongings. A rational process conceals an emotional experience.

By submerging materials, I allow a layer to form between object and viewer. Edges become blurred, as memories fade, yet there remains an echo of longing. The works are caught between past and present, stillness and motion, disappearance and emergence. These investigations stem from experiences of personal loss.

venosta.anna@gmail.com
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