Bonnie L. Mitchell: Spontaneous Reclamation

Title:

Spontaneous Reclamation

Artist(s) and People Involved:

Creation Year:

1995

Medium:

Archival Inkjet Print

Size:

23″ x 32″

Artist Statement:

Spontaneous Reclamation

The transition between end and beginning involves an understanding of the irony of these words. Because of the interconnectedness of natural elements and the influence one event or entity has upon the other, there can be no ending status in nature. Spontaneous Reclamation deals with the juxtapositioning of decay and rebirth; old and new; and organic form and geometric structure. The evolution of natural, organic elements into structured entities is governed by an understanding of the nature of reclamation. As an artist, I attempt to reclaim the essence of an experience and in return the experience gives birth to an idea. I massage the idea into tangible form and work in harmony with the medium. The chosen medium guides the process as well as provides challenges for defying the limitations of the medium. Therefore the birth of the tangible form of the idea is no more a beginning as it is an end.

The changing of the seasons marks a beginning to some individuals and an end to others. Spontaneous Reclamation is part of a series of images inspired by the decay and selective perseverance of natural elements in autumn. The essence of life begins to succumb to the grips of death yet an alternate form of life evolves from the decay. The image deals with alternate forms of spatial perception. The illusion of depth and translucency works to connect the elements into an interwoven array of rebirth and decay. Visually we are allowed to traverse the spatial arrangement of elements yet we have no grounding in reality. We must carry with us the concept of up, down, in and out. We make connections between visual experiences in our life and the spatial arrangement of the elements. Spontaneous Reclamation attempts to capture the essence of experience and challenge our notion of beginning and end.