My IB Curatorial Rationale

I created my body of works to exhibit the extents and limitations of freedom--literally and conceptually. I demonstrated through these works that freedom is something people intrinsically crave - it’s the basis of thought and improvement, yet if abused may also result in self-destruction. I explored the various realms in which freedom exists and how often, our greatest inhibitor is ourselves.

Despite all of my pieces portraying different kinds of freedom in different contexts, they’re all done on square birch wood panels 61 centimeters by 61 centimeters to demonstrate that they are still interconnected and relate to the central theme. Additionally, I used acrylic paint on most of them, extending my concept to pen on two sister pieces to explore my techniques in finer detail and portray the delicate intricacy of darkness.

I displayed pieces with similar compositions symmetrically in the gallery to hold attention throughout the body of works. For example, my micron pieces are on opposite sides of the panels; both situated above a piece that contrasts harsh lines with nature. I centered my three acrylic paintings with human subjects to signify that they go together. Two of the three subjects have single-colored backgrounds, and those were situated symmetrically with the piece lacking a solid background in the center. Both of these pieces also utilize jagged black lines to represent shame and guilt. Below the two solid background pieces, I placed two pieces that both emphasize red in their pallet.

I want the audience to understand that all of these pieces represent deep feelings that are intrinsic to the human condition despite their various concepts, so I also grouped the pieces to show off these concepts. For example, “It’s Time the Kid Got Free and “Booted” both symbolize the struggle of transitioning to adulthood; the former conceptually and the latter literally. “The Right to Grow,” “Bad Mojo Wolf Girl” and “I Killed a Man to Make You Love Me” all fall under the umbrella of destruction and inhibition, displaying the manifestation self-constructed limitations. “Comanche Black Label” and “Triangles of Forests and Deer” both have natural themes and pallets with historical connotations. Finally, “For an Angel of the Lord Went Down at Certain Seasons into the Pool, and Troubled the Water” and “Whosoever Then Frist After the Troubling of the Water was Made Whole, with Whatsoever Disease He was Holden,” the sister micron pieces, complete the bible verse John 5:4 together and both exhibit this biblical concept as the corruption of man despite divine intervention, portraying the external presence of darkness. To develop a relationship between the art and the viewer, I facilitated the identification of these themes by organizing the exhibition by concept and composition. Additionally, I placed the pieces with higher technical qualities closer to the top to catch the viewer’s attention.

Freedom is a staple of the human condition. We need this allure to find purpose, and when it is not externally inflicted, we internally barricade ourselves so that we may chase it again. An unending cycle, freedom is the beauty of creation and the poeticism of death.