Photos by Kiernan McKayWhat: Mythopoeia is a a senior exhibition of drawing and sculpture by Christina Erickson
When: March 23-April 16
Where: Z.T. New Gallery
Where did the idea for “Mythopoeia” come from?
The idea has been a long time coming. I would find myself in philosophy class, or while in conversation, thinking, “This (idea) is worth talking about, this fits with my work!” The big turning point came when I started drawing with ink on the tracing paper, and really found myself enjoying it. So the ideas are much older than the materials used to articulate them. This show is essentially the current chapter to my life narrative.
What do you hope people will glean from your show? What’s the message and how does it apply to students?
All truth that we come to know is passed to us and through us by narration. Truth cannot be proven, nor does it need to be. Ultimately we all walk by faith in these stories. And so, if knowledge comes to us through narration, then what stories are our lives telling, and how are they flowing from the greatest story?
Where did the writings throughout the show come from?
The writings are collected from hymns, journal entries, philosophy books, prayers and novels I have read and written over the past couple years that I recorded because I found them to be humorous or impactful in some way.
The “script” or “code” on the panels and on some of the bones and drawings is one I developed this year using familiar symbols (the English alphabet for the most part), and reassigning their meaning to be intuitive and visually pleasing. I included it in the show because much of the information we encounter through narration needs to be deciphered.
What’s your favorite piece in the show? Why?
Favorite piece would have to be the bone sculpture. I have been wrestling with it as a material for so long now, that finally seeing it come together is immensely rewarding. As a material, bones are saturated with meaning; my goal has been to discover the more subtle stories they can tell, and present them in such a way so they can be heard.
Why did you choose to use the materials you did?
Ink on tracing paper is a fascinating process; it cannot be erased, or easily reworked. Much like the “stories” I’m talking about in my show, once ideas are spoken or passed on, they are irrevocable. There is a weightiness that comes with that knowledge and it lends significance to each mark.
I’ve been working with bones now for several years, and I chose to include them in my show because they signify for me the narratives that have shaped my own perspective of the world. Everything I know has been found. Truth is not built, it is discovered.
Where do you hope your art takes you? Why did you choose art as a career?
I want to be a famous art critic and change the very definition of art. I chose art because I love creating it, and it is my way into the great conversations of life, such as meaning, purpose, and truth.
