Abstract

For "Fragmentation and Redemption" a series of sculptures has been created to explore the connection between Roman Catholicism and the corporeal self. These sculptures utilize the rich iconography of the Roman Catholic Church and express the sanctity of the body as it relates to grief and loss. “Fragmentation and Redemption” was generated out of the researcher’s loss of a close friend and asks the question, what happens to us physically, emotionally and spiritually when in a state of grief or shock? While creating this series of work, it became evident that the thread that binds both spirituality and art making is the body, as it is the instrument with which we experience the world around us. This research draws from a number of contemporary artists who reference the body conceptually in their artwork in order to discuss catharsis, fragmentation and transformation. In “Fragmentation and Redemption,” the body became a symbol for the struggle to understand loss and trauma through the metaphorical enactments of flagellation and fragmentation. The body and its different elements were then brought back together from their fragmented state to document healing from grief and a continuity of life after loss. In this way the exhibition “Fragmentation and Redemption” describes the artist’s path from a state of grief to a place of healing and movement forward.

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