BFA
THESIS EXHIBITION
AYANNA SIEBELINK

I am interested in painting processes that allow me to give a voice to the unconscious. My paintings are not born from finished ideas, they are instinctual responses that happen in the moment. Referencing images of ambiguous organic forms and spaces in my work allows my paintings to be less defined by the initial source. Painting in this way has allowed me to focus more on color and mark making. Currently, I am working with unconventional tools such as toothbrushes and sandpaper, which allow for a wider range of marks. The reference becomes the ground for the painting, then I begin emphasizing certain aspects. If I see something recognizable emerging, I lean into that. In this body of work, I deal with unifying the specific with the abstract.

I add elements from my dreams, or experiences with nature that are significant to me. Painting has always been a way for me to digest experiences from my life. There are three paintings that have snakes in them. These were three snake encounters I had within a week. I painted them because I felt there was a message coming through them that I had not fully grasped yet. Through this process, painting becomes a way to externalize the unconscious so I can look it in the eye.

My most recent work evokes a feeling of mystery through the confusion of interior and exterior. These paintings display a melding of opposites, using light within dark spaces to give a visual representation of this duality. The fluid shapes carved out of bold, sturdy forms explore movement in the stillness. Often these paintings allow me to give nature a body. The irregular shapes, the volume, the rawness of the image allows me to allude to nature as a being. This body of work has allowed me to find a sense of play within the uncertainty.