Sinister Abstract

Date
2007-12
Authors
Maresca, Mark
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Abstract
My artwork is a response to the ever increasing population of society, and the aggression, crudeness, and complexity of its systems. From destruction scenes on the news, the frustration I experience driving on the roads with the road rage and traffic jams, to the crisis of political confusion, my work expresses the exuberant energy and corrosion of the world through my eyes. I create large scale forms consisting of small objects. These eccentric structures evolve by successively linking small bits of discreet information into a complex network. Store bought items, money, and text are transformed into an assemblage expressing opinions and observations. This visual diary inserts my own lived experiences into a broader social framework. The compulsive, commemorative, and sometimes awkward arrangements refer to memorials and everyday exuberant displays. Each work is a physical body, expressing metaphorically the change of physical form through a process of accumulation. My diaristic approach reveals my stream of consciousness through a candid exploration of universal themes. I transform raw and everyday materials, giving life to inanimate objects. Images representing popular themes such as sex, war, and money reconcile my personal experiences with the issues of society. Incorporating mirror shards implicates the viewer and environment into the expression. This produces an intensification of awareness and sensory perception. The spectacle of unexpected formalism Illustrates a body of overbearing dominance or dangerous chaos. Mirror shards, pornographic imagery, coins, and plastic flowers protrude aggressively into the wall space. The work of Tracy Emin has inspired my honest and confrontational approach. She openly exhibits personal items that tell of her ambivalence, conquest, and trauma. Emin exhibits shameless and crude messages consisting of text, self portraits, and personal objects. She transforms the personal into the public. Mine is also an art of disclosure, employing a variety of everyday materials to reveal a range of compulsions. In contrast to Emin's tendency to directly expose her private history, my work connects me with the larger consumer system by focusing on mass produced materials. Insecurity and compulsion are achieved through the projection and overflow of objects. My textual statements express widespread resentment rather than originating from any particular personal experience.
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Thesis (M.F.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2007.
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iv, 31 leaves
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Theses for the degree of Master of Fine Arts (University of Hawaii at Manoa). Art ; no. 475
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