ILYSSA CHAVEZ

There are moments in our lives which shape the individuals we become. Feelings that are hidden deep inside emit in subliminal ways through our habitual practices. I aim to capture these emotions through my work. My work consists of a collection of found family photographs and film stills translated through oil painting. While some images are mundane to others, these moments were deemed worthy enough to capture, and therefore important to see as events of my life and for future generations to come. Through this work I hope to examine the memories and experiences connected to specific photographs. By appropriating and recontextualizing said imagery I hope to understand family dynamics, interpersonal relations, and moments of tenderness between individuals in domestic spaces.

The process is mostly instinctual, as I choose images that are most personal to me and spark immediate emotion. Some of the photographs found have similar themes such as an engaged figure and repeating motifs that I feel are most symbolic of my family. Color is used depending on the emotional pull from the image. I play with the interaction of color to destabilize the picture plane. This becomes a metaphor for how a memory is fabricated or ruined. Basing color on the photographs alone is insufficient, I pull out color and manipulate forms derived from the washed out film to convey specific emotions. The techniques used vary on the image as some require a different hand depending on the expression being examined.

Through the translation from photograph to painting, I hope to express important emotional and interpersonal relationships within my personal life. The way memory impacts us through life is the holistic experience and by examining the relationship of the figures within domestic spaces I hope to make connections for myself and the viewer.