ELLY HEISE – WHO AM I TO YOU?

Often in my practice I am searching for a center of both the body and space. Much like this artwork a person can experience this feeling of coming together from a certain perspective, despite the many different facets they may have.

I wanted to make an interactive artwork that allows for viewers to achieve this center on their own. I also want to give that control of obtaining emotional wellness to the viewer by making it interactive, they can experience the artwork in a way that is beneficial to them and suits their individual needs.

I chose the sunset as a subject because it is fleeting and changeable, much like our constantly changing bodies and perceptions. I photographed different sunsets because I wanted to compare these human qualities to something we as humans often appreciate in nature. While it is changeable and transient, each facet or layer is integral to the overall structure and can be seen as vital because of its unique qualities.

I also want this artwork to generate dialogue about the power of perception. I am interested in how your perception of something can change based on your distance and position from it. Due to the ephemeral nature of the medium, the images are only visible from certain points. This encourages the idea of engaging through movement and gaining that shift in perspective in order to get a new outlook on a space.

The frames loosely reference windows, as a nod to the idea of another space.

I constructed the frames for the purpose of displaying the chiffon fabric. Hiding the edges of the textiles by tucking them into the frames give the viewer an impression of a mysterious changeable space that is simultaneously present as well as “elsewhere”. This was done with the intention of representing the interdependency of the potential spaces that exist within and around us; a sort of membrane between the physical world and the imaginative,spaces that are both psychological and physical.