BFA Thesis Exhibit

Angie Childs

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Artist Statement

I am interested in landscapes because they let the viewer experience a location without needing to travel. The places I create do not exist, rather I make environments that I want to see.  These places are a form of escapism, residing in alternate realities and worlds that do not follow the same rules as ours. There is a freedom in the sun being square and the grass being purple. 

My art is intended to empty one’s mind through the indulgence of colors, shapes and patterns. The work is not asking the viewer to solve a problem or reevaluate their relationship to society. As a person of color, I find it draining to try to solve racism all the time. The point of this art is not to deem these problems as trivial or unimportant, but instead to provide an escape in somewhere they do not have to exist.  

In being transported to this world, the viewer can move through the space by peering over or crouching down to see objects in certain perspectives. The installation crawls around corners and spills onto the floor. It is inviting the viewer into a cozy space with soft fabric and fun patterns.  

I use both found and hand-made objects. It is important for me to use accessible materials like paint, fabric, paper bags, and pens. By using everyday items, I evoke a sense of playfulness and imagination. I transform these objects by creating simple shapes, patterns, and bright colors to reference my fictional landscapes: a torn sheet becomes a horizon, a misshapen circle is the sun. 

The installation is organized by what each element means to me representationally. I work intuitively, organizing and combining my pieces into new environments as I react to different exhibition sites. In working this way, I can connect to my own sense of playfulness and be immersed in this world of imagination.