Like water taught by thirst

I am interested in the practice of painting as a way to deepen one’s relationship with nature and its many ecosystems. To me, art not only illustrates these experiences of entanglement, but also is a realm for a sensorial engagement that surpasses representation. During my time at RISD, I have learned that painting can act as a generative tool, a therapeutic ritual, a release of energy, and a place to bridge connections to other facets of my life. It is through the conception, envelopment, and evolution of materials and their relationship to an anthropocentric society that I continue to investigate instances of self-reflection, the embedment of matter, and the inherent subjectivity that comes along with being a visual storyteller. I am curious about the parallel relationships of artistic practice to the cultivation of soil and domesticity within the modern world, and how working to create a form of sustainability for myself has become an act of resistance. Through observation, self-reflection, and embodied entanglement, this thesis will consist of essays accompanied by poems, diagrams, and journal entries that interweave my painting practice, my interests outside the studio, and the research informing my work, with an emphasis on the process of painting and a look at kaleidoscopic vision