Herencia (2023), consisting of seven suspended translucent organza panels, is response to a family member’s diagnosis of dementia after they began to struggle with language & memory recall. Individual neurons are isolated on transparent organza panels, which allows them to visually overlap, yet not physically connect, representing the network issue occurring in the brain. Suspension allows neurons to occasionally and temporarily have contact with one another as they sway with air currents.
Microscopic images of neurons with their branch- and root-like dendrite branches are reminiscent of trees and roots. This parallel interpretation - that they can be viewed as two different things simultaneously – connects with the title, Herencia, a Spanish word with dual meanings of heritage and inheritance; generational history fades due to the disease and a genetic trait may be inherited. The enlarged scale of a singular neuron imparts the gravity of a microscopic part of the brain and its effect on an individual’s identity & their ability to function over time.
This installation was funded by a Kentucky Arts Council Al Smith Fellowship.
Microscopic images of neurons with their branch- and root-like dendrite branches are reminiscent of trees and roots. This parallel interpretation - that they can be viewed as two different things simultaneously – connects with the title, Herencia, a Spanish word with dual meanings of heritage and inheritance; generational history fades due to the disease and a genetic trait may be inherited. The enlarged scale of a singular neuron imparts the gravity of a microscopic part of the brain and its effect on an individual’s identity & their ability to function over time.
This installation was funded by a Kentucky Arts Council Al Smith Fellowship.