Triangle of Change | Spring 2015 | Mixed Media & Design | mixed media collage

Triangle of Change is by far the most meaningful piece I have created over the
past four years. This piece was part of the Personal Narrative assignment, and I
really dove into my own story in order to create this piece. The entire process of
this creation is meaningful. I began by immediately recognizing an area of my life
that is about to change: my family is selling our home that I have lived in since I
was 7. This major change is accompanied by the many other drastic changes that
occur after one graduates, so there is a huge sense of instability and uncertainty
in my current life. I decided for this piece that this change would be the focus. I
then developed the triangle concept based on the idea that an equilateral triangle
has three sides, but regardless of which side it lays the triangle is always
balanced. So although there is this great sense of anticipation for the unknown,
the triangle represents my continued stability regardless of the chaotic and
overwhelming time. Finally I decided that I wanted this piece to represent my
home, the place that holds the most significance in my life and stores memories
from my childhood. I gathered objects throughout my house, including beads,
doll clothes, playing cards, drapery adornments, piano keys, etc., and arranged
them into a color gradation collage. The triangles dimensions make for it to
appear almost as a tunnel, with the open space in the middle being the opening at
the end of that tunnel. The lightest pieces of the collage are closest to the opening,
whereas the sides of the triangle are collaged with the darkest purples, greens,
and reds as well as blacks, browns, and greys. The process of making this piece
was almost therapeutic. As I was applying each piece to the surface, I knew
exactly where in my home it came from and had some memory associated with it.
I learned that personal inspiration brings a piece to life. This piece represents my
childhood, my home, and me. It symbolizes the change that I am about to
embrace, and I was able to grow as an artist and as an individual from completing
this work.