Negative Space: The Transference of Trauma

Is trauma tangible? My thesis will examine my experiences with trauma and the influence it has on my practice as a visual artist. I define trauma as the reaction to physical and emotional experiences of distress, abuse, and neglect, that invaded mind and body. My traumatic memories remain subconsciously hidden, an instinctive \u27survival instinct\u27 failsafe ingrained into my psyche, that files away many unbearable experiences, only to be evoked and experienced in the present by a trigger. For me, domestic space is often that trigger. Throughout the reflective analysis of my childhood traumas, I showcase the allegorical stories, signifiers and themes of a broken home. My work brings material poetic forms to the intangible aspects of trauma, using materials and domestic references to bring a new coherence to traumatic memories. In doing so, I seek to exorcize the negative spaces of my past and produce a sculptural environment that evokes ideas about childhood, home, neglect and, ultimately, care. In this written thesis, I will discuss domestic and familial themes within social sciences, contemporary art and personal experiences; I will expound upon my creative process, influences and self-discoveries around trauma that inform my current practice as an artist