I create abstract drawings that reflect my research and understanding of the state many of us experience while recovering from grief. Once I complete what would typically be a completed drawing, I set about removing elements of its being. By erasing, sanding, and scratching my surfaces, they gradually become traces of what once was – an expression of our inability to control the circumstances of our lives. Core remnants of the drawings remain; not everything is completely lost. I then begin to draw back into the pieces and continue this process until they feel finished in a new sense, beyond grief. The finished products are delicately layered, abstract images. Ephemeral markings both inhabit and vacate the original drawing.
I also work in abstract porcelain sculpture. These pieces stem from my desire to create a visual interpretation of the way a person may feel upon hearing devastating news. I begin each sculpture by creating a vase in the traditional sense, on the potter’s wheel. I then continue to push and stretch the clay while the wheel is spinning until gravity takes over and the clay collapses. The result is an expression of the moment one’s life changes due to outside circumstances – a moment forever frozen in memory.
When shown together, my drawings and sculptural works encapsulate the struggle with what occurs after a seminal, tragic event. A liminal space is occupied, while transitioning to a new experience. In creating this body of work I have found hope and the ability to embrace the unknown.
Yvonne Cavanagh 