MUTED employs a minimalist approach to explore themes of isolation, mortality and perception, while shifting our attention inwards to the self. The project attempts to shut out external forces, providing a moment to internalize and recharge. It references my own colorblindness and plays on differing perceptions between myself and others. As colorblindness is unique to the individual, others will never see the world the same way that I do. This acts as an interesting metaphor for how polarized we have become, and how resistant we are to attempt to understand and see things from the perspective of another person.
While in self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, I became overwhelmed by world events, conflicting sources of information, and polarization of people due to both. I withdrew into the safety of my apartment, choosing to look inward rather than focus on the overwhelming amount of media vying for my attention. I used dried botanicals as a self-portrait, suspended in time and sourced from meaningful personal references. Although the work references the memento mori vanitas paintings of the 17th century, I instead focus on a single plant - the idea of the self. The images emit a sense of aesthetic loneliness I felt throughout this ordeal, and allude to the near-constant confrontation of my own health, mortality, and fears that like me, the world is withering and changing for the worse.
