Apparition of self 02

Kristen McClarty's artworks carve lines deep into the concept of layering, both physically and metaphorically, as a means of bearing witness to the past and present simultaneously. Through her evocative descriptions and poignant reflections, McClarty captures the essence of memory intertwined with place, creating woodcuts imprints made with finely cut grooves of experiences.  

Kristen writes the following about her series, "Head under water": A series of semi abstract reduction woodblock prints inspired by photographs taken of the artist/self, submerged under water, from above. The edges of the form are broken and with no clear start and end to the body, it becomes a part of the environment.

Discombobulated soups of self-portrait. An examination of the disparate parts of self that make the whole, and how these parts interact with each other and the environment. A reference to a space that makes the artist feel that she is safe and can breathe. Under water, the edges of the artist are blurred, her body and the liquid push pull hold.

And then a retreat into the mind, where the body floats under the tannin rich dark umber waters of the Cape, naked and without encumbrance. If the artist were to exhale, she would slip a little further below the surface, and quite soon be invisible, hidden by the dissolved minerals and botanicals coexisting with her in the slippery liquid. She is holding her breath. She is searching for self. For the essence that makes the person.