sorry to see you go

Finding hidden treasure in the forgotten forest behind the parking lot: half of a broken-off brake light, a dirty shoelace, a soggy bag of half-eaten chips. Treasure, dirt, trash, non-perishable objects scattered across the ground like traces of lives already lived. Objects abandoned and overlooked begin to feel  alive when removed from their original purpose, carrying memories of use and neglect.

I often get a feeling of melancholy, longing back to a time I was never a part of, a time before bricks, tunnels, and pavements. 

I crave the otherworldly earth that once was, the untamed landscapes hidden beneath layers of infrastructure and waste, knowing that I will never get to be a part of them. There is a tension between the natural world and the systems we build around ourselves, and I find myself drawn to the quiet spaces where those two realities collide.

Using waste clay, crushed bisque ware, and an old cabinet, I investigate the portrayal of life, parasiticism, and the technosphere. I explore how we view and act around the perishable and non-perishable objects in our daily lives. 

Are we consciously aware of the life of the objects in our personal sphere?  Have we forgotten how to mend and care for objects as though they are precious to us? At what point does an object stop being useful and begin existing only as residue, memory, or a burden?

One question I wanted to ask while working on this project is, if I were to leave the things I create out in nature until the end of time, what will disappear and what will remain? 

“sorry to see you go” is an investigation of consumption and sustainability in a conceptual way, reflecting on waste, decay, and the relationship between objects.