https://christinamelchiorre.com Christina Melchiorre Sun, 15 Oct 2023 02:36:00 +0000 https://christinamelchiorre.com en https://christinamelchiorre.com/Home Thu, 29 Apr 2021 16:28:40 +0000 Christina Melchiorre https://christinamelchiorre.com/Home https://christinamelchiorre.com/amaranthine Sat, 14 Oct 2023 04:43:32 +0000 Christina Melchiorre https://christinamelchiorre.com/amaranthine amaranthine Amaranthine | adjective am·a·ran·thine | ˌa-mə-ˈran(t)-thən&nbsp; , -ˈran-ˌthīn 1a : of or relating to an amaranth b : Eternally beautiful and unfading; everlasting, undying 2 : of the color amaranth; a shade of reddish-rose Amaranthine is an exploration of process, family, and self through the use of sculpture, installation, video, and audio. These elements create an experience that travels the process-oriented path of a person attempting to understand the confusion they feel regarding perspective and reality as it relates to their complex familial relationships. The use of unique art-making systems to create each piece adds nuances of time, process, introspection, narrative, and endurance; abstract process-based sculptures lead to a shadowed amaranth-red cave that houses a beautifully-rusted rose garden. This psychological landscape allows for rumination, mainly for the present, but with room for the future as the pendulous-nature of this situation is acknowledged, foreseen, and accepted as being everlasting. <img width="1083" height="808" width_o="1083" height_o="808" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/16e6b0cf8e8892bcc7306e642a831ce9a10a5002e9ce8a997ad15ad35c2542b2/17a.png" data-mid="193718601" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/16e6b0cf8e8892bcc7306e642a831ce9a10a5002e9ce8a997ad15ad35c2542b2/17a.png" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3e4c2be99fba2f99a34c8e810643f9df4fe6fb16a7287e24c9e8c0a98f02105b/27.png" data-mid="193718518" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3e4c2be99fba2f99a34c8e810643f9df4fe6fb16a7287e24c9e8c0a98f02105b/27.png" /> <img width="1002" height="753" width_o="1002" height_o="753" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ad1491e983557fe9697f575ce83c18ecfe4480a273fe33be240a9de4d1942496/9.png" data-mid="195511272" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ad1491e983557fe9697f575ce83c18ecfe4480a273fe33be240a9de4d1942496/9.png" /> <img width="1840" height="4032" width_o="1840" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/72fb13d264b4b32909fb7dd69e0c8f1fd24c0e03693becd75e111fe6ac8dcf73/16.png" data-mid="193718600" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/72fb13d264b4b32909fb7dd69e0c8f1fd24c0e03693becd75e111fe6ac8dcf73/16.png" /> <img width="456" height="570" width_o="456" height_o="570" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/84c56e391c3d571cf31c8329252d046acda595713176aedf2c897bba8e33cdd3/25.png" data-mid="193718607" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/456/i/84c56e391c3d571cf31c8329252d046acda595713176aedf2c897bba8e33cdd3/25.png" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/53a7ee5e72358357f762250c0d03bb75dc34f8a3377adfe043e2dc81903948f4/18.png" data-mid="193718602" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/53a7ee5e72358357f762250c0d03bb75dc34f8a3377adfe043e2dc81903948f4/18.png" /> <img width="1088" height="703" width_o="1088" height_o="703" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bff7425255c5a1ace4f8ccda5a0beebc850cd28cb8732306d4717b02cbb3d0a9/28.png" data-mid="193718611" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bff7425255c5a1ace4f8ccda5a0beebc850cd28cb8732306d4717b02cbb3d0a9/28.png" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/37c3950ab684c8ceb28139887ce71766c50741178dcccc8cb890e21cfb743081/26a.png" data-mid="193718609" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/37c3950ab684c8ceb28139887ce71766c50741178dcccc8cb890e21cfb743081/26a.png" /> <img width="591" height="618" width_o="591" height_o="618" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3b7b3ed0e9a74d7184fa004c376ef1506384bdb1e73cc303bdb55bf0fec1890a/24.png" data-mid="193718606" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/591/i/3b7b3ed0e9a74d7184fa004c376ef1506384bdb1e73cc303bdb55bf0fec1890a/24.png" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/26698c8f2e6762f63c8e4ce29a66f5df1b4048f258b21fba6ab33a29506ca6ad/22.png" data-mid="193718603" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/26698c8f2e6762f63c8e4ce29a66f5df1b4048f258b21fba6ab33a29506ca6ad/22.png" /> <img width="2812" height="3749" width_o="2812" height_o="3749" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c9447dd5d9b275ec9a32f966605da6e1a818ba2f220520ca2a9d5364d3441e81/15-1.png" data-mid="193718718" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c9447dd5d9b275ec9a32f966605da6e1a818ba2f220520ca2a9d5364d3441e81/15-1.png" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2bd9e3672396a2834250d7c1a50a750b2d5c3823cb6bdc6e228b822daf42acf0/22a.png" data-mid="193718604" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2bd9e3672396a2834250d7c1a50a750b2d5c3823cb6bdc6e228b822daf42acf0/22a.png" /> <img width="2388" height="1668" width_o="2388" height_o="1668" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ebae8a1e28c6c36c64ff12c64dafaa3af7d3eb36100ec83a4038abfab4a8eb62/26.png" data-mid="193718608" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ebae8a1e28c6c36c64ff12c64dafaa3af7d3eb36100ec83a4038abfab4a8eb62/26.png" /> <img width="1005" height="752" width_o="1005" height_o="752" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/71171f3b0eb0efe1dd923ffe4b43a61c2795649b8bc8abd224ea2fb12d2e022d/9a.png" data-mid="195511273" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/71171f3b0eb0efe1dd923ffe4b43a61c2795649b8bc8abd224ea2fb12d2e022d/9a.png" /> <img width="1088" height="703" width_o="1088" height_o="703" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bff7425255c5a1ace4f8ccda5a0beebc850cd28cb8732306d4717b02cbb3d0a9/28.png" data-mid="193718611" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bff7425255c5a1ace4f8ccda5a0beebc850cd28cb8732306d4717b02cbb3d0a9/28.png" /> https://christinamelchiorre.com/attempting-insanity-1 Sun, 15 Oct 2023 02:26:45 +0000 Christina Melchiorre https://christinamelchiorre.com/attempting-insanity-1 attempting insanity I have always found myself living in a gray area regarding my family; as much as they irk me, drive me up the wall, make me want to scream and shout words at them that I know I otherwise shouldn’t say, I don’t. Because the redemption that I find within them stems from the moments where we’re all laughing and smiling, and for once, I’m proud to say that, “Hey, my laugh actually does sound like Dad’s and Rachel’s.” It is this constantly unbalanced seesaw that I find myself riding, one that inevitably, I have the choice to get off, but I do not. I stay on it, always leaning towards one side or the other, but after some time, the opposing side gains more weight, and suddenly I’m experiencing it, all for it to begin looping again. And as I move through this gray area, I find that I am slowly yet surely unveiling what it is, what it looks like, how I interpret it, and how I can show it. With this in mind, I’ve decided to choose one aspect of this “gray area” to focus on, and have created an installation that has multiple elements to it, yet they come together to create a unified piece with a four-walled room, representing a sort of domesticity. Each aspect, or trials, explore a different avenue of the binary that my work discusses, but the tying element amongst them all is that there is some form of effort to push past, and even though failure happens, I keep going. This is reflective of my initial concept; I choose to remain connected to my family despite how much hurt they’ve caused me, and in this piece, I continue to try, and even though I stumble and trip, I still keep going in hopes that something other than failure will happen, much like how I hope that my family will get better. &nbsp; <img width="2317" height="1543" width_o="2317" height_o="1543" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/300b8324643fbbecce4dbb78dec61e064d3c0a79885a1d8a8b4421562f5aeae0/IMG_1676.jpeg" data-mid="193803164" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/300b8324643fbbecce4dbb78dec61e064d3c0a79885a1d8a8b4421562f5aeae0/IMG_1676.jpeg" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a4402e90683578592cee234ea4c2fc64d124e86386003fa04b5a29137f9f2124/IMG_8895.jpg" data-mid="193788138" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a4402e90683578592cee234ea4c2fc64d124e86386003fa04b5a29137f9f2124/IMG_8895.jpg" /> <img width="599" height="902" width_o="599" height_o="902" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/06c30c9c2bf4c2c95f70eb117df9dd289b8a3b7db4a51ffa1a1289a58aa8a637/asdfasdf.png" data-mid="193803158" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/599/i/06c30c9c2bf4c2c95f70eb117df9dd289b8a3b7db4a51ffa1a1289a58aa8a637/asdfasdf.png" /> <img width="1481" height="992" width_o="1481" height_o="992" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fbe2a65cc4d4bbc776dbd958dd372e130c03f2188e579b594f81f0bce153c5fe/fdfdfdsdf.png" data-mid="193803162" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fbe2a65cc4d4bbc776dbd958dd372e130c03f2188e579b594f81f0bce153c5fe/fdfdfdsdf.png" /> The live performance within the space, which will occur in a later exhibition, is of me painting Trial 3D, as Trial 3A, Trial 3B, and Trial 3C are already completed. This performance is visceral, as I respond to not only the audio, but each and every sensation within the space; the videos of my family, the argument, the breathing, tapping, and counting in Trial 1, the stumbling yet persevering yoga in Trial 2, and all of Trial 3. Each part comes together cohesively, affecting me beyond what I had ever anticipated. The emotions I feel, experience, and show are vulnerable, intimate, and real. This installation is titled Attempting Insanity. I am telling my experiences, working through them, and sharing them. And as I do so, my thoughts become more clear, my mind not as hazy, and I feel that the decision to keep my family in my life or not becomes that much more apparent. I slowly am making up my mind, and it won’t be until this concept is fully realized and completed, that I will truly, wholeheartedly know what to do. But for now, I will continue to make work about this concept, all in the hope that I will get that much closer to the answer that I seek. <img width="1484" height="992" width_o="1484" height_o="992" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/323e68617af7e6c8fc97e20f38ae24f4be9b981a76476cffcd40d0adcb3c451b/AFDASASFSADF.png" data-mid="193803156" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/323e68617af7e6c8fc97e20f38ae24f4be9b981a76476cffcd40d0adcb3c451b/AFDASASFSADF.png" /> The first aspect to this piece, Trial 1, the part that began it all, is a recorded audio file of my family fighting from the summer of 2020. I was upstairs when they were yelling, and I decided to record their voices. In conjunction with this audio, I am showing how I cope when hearing them yell. As a part of this coping process, I usually imagine the better moments that I have with my family as a way to get through their arguments. I began by collecting videos I had taken of my family from social media applications over the past few years, such as SnapChat and TikTok, both long and short in duration. These videos, which are my home videos, contain media depicting them smiling, laughing, being silly, goofy, and overall happy. In order to contrast these videos, I recorded myself breathing, tapping, and counting from numbers one to four, all of which are my direct responses to the audio of the argument. This is a sensorial recreation of how I process their fights. All four audio tracks fluctuate in volume, allowing certain parts to be more pronounced than others, simulating how I would tune in and out of the overall experience. The second aspect of this piece, Trial 2, is a recorded performance of myself practicing yoga without a yoga mat. This pairs, yet also contrasts itself, to Trial 1; the yoga is a direct tie to the consistent, yet fluctuating, one-to-four counting that can be heard in Trial 1, yet the pace is quite different. Trial 1 is choppier, full of colors and movement, and having it be combined with the various audio tracks, it makes for a heavily stimulating video. Meanwhile, Trial 2 is slower, more evenly paced, and the colors are dim and soothing, almost monochromatic. Yoga is a peaceful activity that aims to work both the mind and body. Yet even with the similar and dissimilar qualities between the two videos, Trial 2 still contains the main concept at its core; I am trying to do something, particularly a task that I haven’t done for some time, making me out of practice, I don’t use a mat, which is a part of the practice that makes yoga more successful, my breathing is staggered and uneven, not even like it should be, my thoughts aren’t clear, my mind always racing, I stumble, am off balance, and am ultimately struggling the entire time, yet despite all of these obstacles, I still push through, hoping that, with more practice, more time, I will succeed. That something will finally give. I choose to put myself through this laborious, draining process, with faith that something good will come from my efforts. The third and final aspect of this piece, Trial 3, is a series of abstracted figurative paintings, combined with a live performance. Each figurative painting is on a wood board, representing life and flesh, with a water repellent spray adhered to their surfaces. As a continuation of the “trying yet failing” concept, I attempt to paint each person in my family with acrylic paint atop these wood boards, each one measuring to their respective heights, but as I do, the paint and water is repelled and doesn’t stick as much as it should. The wooden surface, combined with the repellent spray, allows the paint to not fully adhere, but over time, with persistence and effort, it begins to seep in. I listened to the edited audio from Trial 1 while I kept trying to apply the paint, to paint each person while overstimulated by my surroundings, and depending on these varying elements, each result is different. Trial 3B is painted more gingerly, with care and softness as I listen to their victimized pleas, the paint taking more time to seep in with how light my touch is, spending reverent time on the painting. Yet Trial 3A is harshly marked with paint due to my aggravated state while hearing their voice yell and bellow, the painting finished just as soon as I had started it because I couldn't stand to spend any more time on them. Each color for each person references my prior piece titled Call Log. <img width="1572" height="1350" width_o="1572" height_o="1350" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/be74947501ba56a5d176fb54fec21b67a1ca177b25c7d10420a4cf3091783a3e/4.jpg" data-mid="195511295" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/be74947501ba56a5d176fb54fec21b67a1ca177b25c7d10420a4cf3091783a3e/4.jpg" /> Trial 3 also includes 2 TV screens, and on each screen is a video of me painting each respective figure painting. The duration of each video, showing how much time I spent on each painting, further alludes to the aforementioned experience I had while painting them as I listened to the audio of my family yelling. By having these videos displayed on screens, they become intangible. There is no interaction with my experience while painting my family members, much like how the decision to remain connected to them, to continue to have them be active people in my life, is mine and mine alone. People have otherwise warned and told me to do the opposite, and even though I heed their words, my decisions are still mine to make. As a contrast to this untouchable facet, Trial 1, and Trial 2 are displayed via projectors. By doing so, one can become one with them. They can then be interacted with, thrown one into the space that the videos exist in, becoming immersed, living in the vulnerable moments that I have created. But unlike the non-interactive screens, one can never venture into the choices I make regarding my family. <img width="974" height="652" width_o="974" height_o="652" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b85b9f46bbc832eb778e1f0a1df50de113b0f2403c2d3d2af8ec33b122c29e81/asdfasdfadsf.png" data-mid="193803159" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/974/i/b85b9f46bbc832eb778e1f0a1df50de113b0f2403c2d3d2af8ec33b122c29e81/asdfasdfadsf.png" /> https://christinamelchiorre.com/escapism-bts-1 Sun, 15 Oct 2023 02:31:33 +0000 Christina Melchiorre https://christinamelchiorre.com/escapism-bts-1 escapism: bts Even though I have made the conscious choice to keep my family in my life, the level of interactivity and exposure to them is not random, but something that I control. However, this is only a recent discovery, as these choices were not always consciously made. As an adolescent, a majority of my behavior towards my family was avoidant. I did not want to be involved with the issues and fights that they created, but even so, there were times when this was not a choice. It was during these moments that I found myself wanting to escape from what was happening, yet at the time, I did not know that there was a term for this feeling. I continued to avoid them and the issues that would occur from the end of my adolescence into adulthood, especially when I began attending college. <img width="3264" height="2448" width_o="3264" height_o="2448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5e65f845585d395bc8aae5092f12559bc5e9d0ebc44ec63cb1edcc1f7f5fb9ca/IMG_6550.jpg" data-mid="195370759" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5e65f845585d395bc8aae5092f12559bc5e9d0ebc44ec63cb1edcc1f7f5fb9ca/IMG_6550.jpg" /> With college came a more well-developed sense of autonomy and individuality. I was able to pull myself out of the space I had been in with them (physically, mentally, and emotionally), enabling me to gain an outside perspective on my situation. This is what allowed me to see that I was subconsciously practicing escapism, while also giving me the opportunity and time to heal, which allowed me to eventually confront my situation. After coming to these realizations, I began to explore what it all meant through my artwork. <img width="2448" height="3264" width_o="2448" height_o="3264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/da204c2facb93d90fbfd399802ac34c49d7838005f62a3830868fac13847e321/IMG_6608.jpg" data-mid="195370751" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/da204c2facb93d90fbfd399802ac34c49d7838005f62a3830868fac13847e321/IMG_6608.jpg" /> Accompanying both videos is a sculptural install made of 770 pieces of paper, all of which include meta-data from photographs that were screenshotted or saved, 70 of which are the photographs themselves, and 100 are screenshots of YouTube history search results containing the keyword “BTS”. The paper structure represents and consists of the media consumed within both videos, but is externalized to consume the space, “spilling” from the video sources into the realm of the room. Its mass speaks to the amount of information having been consumed within the past year, representing the consumption of media, as well as my own life. <img width="2448" height="3264" width_o="2448" height_o="3264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1f8727f257a54b422a5a1e5e5cfd388a425f19887dd3cfa99e23863a5a066ec3/IMG_6567.jpg" data-mid="195370743" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1f8727f257a54b422a5a1e5e5cfd388a425f19887dd3cfa99e23863a5a066ec3/IMG_6567.jpg" /> Over 100 hours were spent creating this installation, which also speaks to the amount of time that is used when consuming media, where creating seemed tedious, but absentminded ingestion seemed endless. The fast-paced, jarring, stuttering, and intrusive nature of the compilation, coupled with the slow, extended, and drawled GoPro footage, enunciates the length of time and nature that this media is consumed. All of this information compiled together is overwhelming, intense, overstimulating, and is quite obsessive in nature, making one question the amount of time spent in their own media consumption. <img width="3264" height="2448" width_o="3264" height_o="2448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/58bc25ab3ed7ff060d0d86c3ae733a3431ea0003c715be61260f4758a872ea22/IMG_6545.jpg" data-mid="195370758" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/58bc25ab3ed7ff060d0d86c3ae733a3431ea0003c715be61260f4758a872ea22/IMG_6545.jpg" /> <img width="3264" height="2448" width_o="3264" height_o="2448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/785dd8fd8ecf840614f65743db82da9a49fd246e123eb2f755f64e86f2167216/IMG_6596.jpg" data-mid="195370749" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/785dd8fd8ecf840614f65743db82da9a49fd246e123eb2f755f64e86f2167216/IMG_6596.jpg" /> <img width="2448" height="3264" width_o="2448" height_o="3264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/834f65f1554b405dd39a6433d3d5328d88683351695939eb331a3d2d37750fe6/IMG_6563.jpg" data-mid="195370742" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/834f65f1554b405dd39a6433d3d5328d88683351695939eb331a3d2d37750fe6/IMG_6563.jpg" /> <img width="3264" height="2448" width_o="3264" height_o="2448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8a21c9c7ee1a6a23e33b29b37ca633bc08b32c7880b6d10203e09ada5847c1cd/IMG_6595-1.jpg" data-mid="193719497" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8a21c9c7ee1a6a23e33b29b37ca633bc08b32c7880b6d10203e09ada5847c1cd/IMG_6595-1.jpg" /> Escapism: BTS is the piece that shifted my perspective from the subconscious to the conscious. The creation of it began with an instinctual drive to create a piece based on what I was investing most of my time in; consuming media from the band BTS. In this piece, I used various types of media, including video and sculpture, to create a sensorially overwhelming installation. It consists of media consumption spanning the length of 475 days pertaining to the Korean pop band Bangtan Sonyeondan, or BTS. One video consists of over 150 minutes of footage from 30 videos that have been condensed into one 45-minute video, creating a compilation of 1 second cuts that were spliced together, all pertaining to BTS, including music videos, interviews, scenes from their variety show, and fan-made edits from media outlets such as Twitter and Instagram. The other is a nearly 1 hour long video of GoPro footage that shows me laying in my bed, scrolling through Instagram, absentmindedly consuming all media pertaining to the band, exhibiting behavior that is unfiltered. <img width="3264" height="2448" width_o="3264" height_o="2448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/37e2b2cddea58cc8f04f26d7a5b0eb8f7a530f40101c89b79a13f7528d7eb22d/IMG_6581.jpg" data-mid="195370746" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/37e2b2cddea58cc8f04f26d7a5b0eb8f7a530f40101c89b79a13f7528d7eb22d/IMG_6581.jpg" /> <img width="2448" height="3264" width_o="2448" height_o="3264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1fe37f3a825234e1b7413801204fe283acfb8e64878b08305f2a2d42c10d3a68/IMG_6534.jpg" data-mid="195370754" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1fe37f3a825234e1b7413801204fe283acfb8e64878b08305f2a2d42c10d3a68/IMG_6534.jpg" /> <img width="2448" height="3264" width_o="2448" height_o="3264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8d3a2a7f58d9a73ea152852b52f5145879dfa9aad0737fb45cf1362470871984/IMG_6614.jpg" data-mid="195370752" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8d3a2a7f58d9a73ea152852b52f5145879dfa9aad0737fb45cf1362470871984/IMG_6614.jpg" /> Regarding my own consumption, I had been spending so much time on them and their content that I was not focusing on anything else in my life. Once I began to make this piece and analyze why I was doing so and what it was about, I started to realize that it was because I could not focus on my daily life, much of which was consumed by my family, and at the time, very negative events. This led to my research about escapism, which by definition means “an activity, a form of entertainment, etc., that helps you avoid or forget unpleasant or boring things” (Oxford 1). I made the connection that the piece was not made from pure instinct, but came from a place that was subconsciously aware of my aversive actions. This newfound knowledge gave me a sense of power over my situation; one where I felt like I had some control over a situation that seemed like I had no control over at all. And now that I realized I was escaping my situation, it was this power that gave me the ability to confront my situation in other bodies of work. https://christinamelchiorre.com/misnurture-1-1 Sun, 15 Oct 2023 02:33:05 +0000 Christina Melchiorre https://christinamelchiorre.com/misnurture-1-1 misnurture I’ve always had moments of duality with my family. Moments that are good yet bad at the same time. Moments such as my father writing me a loving letter, saying how much he would miss me when I went away to college, and taping it to the back of the front door of our house for me to see before I left for college, only to act as a blockade, stopping me from leaving which is what I so badly wanted to do, despite the sincere and warm words scrawled across its surface. &nbsp; <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b9ed2be02bff3322ae697fb84456667689805731599f5664fd32b7be2a183b2b/floor_2.jpg" data-mid="195504321" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b9ed2be02bff3322ae697fb84456667689805731599f5664fd32b7be2a183b2b/floor_2.jpg" /> <img width="1932" height="2492" width_o="1932" height_o="2492" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6ae6c94708ca43e66aea4d1279c62743cba03982dbec3e876c932a2c6304b3d1/sdfsfsdfsdfsdf.jpg" data-mid="195507213" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6ae6c94708ca43e66aea4d1279c62743cba03982dbec3e876c932a2c6304b3d1/sdfsfsdfsdfsdf.jpg" /> <img width="3860" height="2842" width_o="3860" height_o="2842" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b7d87fcc74abce562e1def71a73cb1cc3f38a67c0287e69a235bb7ff0ec689eb/all.jpg" data-mid="195504306" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b7d87fcc74abce562e1def71a73cb1cc3f38a67c0287e69a235bb7ff0ec689eb/all.jpg" /> <img width="3015" height="3796" width_o="3015" height_o="3796" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e066e90a5e4558b29b68ed9d1410a031e2c9ae75c25a769d82097f7609ae0c08/all_side_3.jpg" data-mid="195504311" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e066e90a5e4558b29b68ed9d1410a031e2c9ae75c25a769d82097f7609ae0c08/all_side_3.jpg" /> Rope is a material that is strong. It can pull, tighten, tie, suspend, wrap, choke, drag, constrain. Yet once cut, it is deemed useless, no longer able to do what it was intended for. Using rope to suspend the eggs, while being frayed in the center, creates an uneasiness. They are each holding up such a heavy material, yet because of the cuts along them, they could fall at any moment, leaving everything to tumble to the ground. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8abf2d54cf65c9a81de73a713bf8447de3517d9ab6899c8d02283a5b893726b0/closeup_7.jpg" data-mid="195504318" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8abf2d54cf65c9a81de73a713bf8447de3517d9ab6899c8d02283a5b893726b0/closeup_7.jpg" /> <img width="2724" height="2949" width_o="2724" height_o="2949" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c0dfc3d13b98a4ed2a69e970089deaa487d5f636ada57fe0bffd49b780d50759/all_3.jpg" data-mid="195504308" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c0dfc3d13b98a4ed2a69e970089deaa487d5f636ada57fe0bffd49b780d50759/all_3.jpg" /> <img width="3010" height="3710" width_o="3010" height_o="3710" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7dd1a405ca47a088e4e96f824fee1a0c8e530e8b040ad80ee306d50738275c72/closeup_4.jpg" data-mid="195504315" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7dd1a405ca47a088e4e96f824fee1a0c8e530e8b040ad80ee306d50738275c72/closeup_4.jpg" /> <img width="2308" height="3458" width_o="2308" height_o="3458" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/64402baf4972bb65078f761bc4b84904194179c2309ac9924f1623c91c8b27db/closeup_3.jpg" data-mid="195504314" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/64402baf4972bb65078f761bc4b84904194179c2309ac9924f1623c91c8b27db/closeup_3.jpg" /> <img width="3015" height="3826" width_o="3015" height_o="3826" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f2632d4063ae33fccebc94c52927554533c60d86086304efc3bc1b23e2121bf9/closeup_2.jpg" data-mid="195504313" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f2632d4063ae33fccebc94c52927554533c60d86086304efc3bc1b23e2121bf9/closeup_2.jpg" /> It is these duel moments that have created the memories that my work stems from, where I have both negative and positive ties to certain objects, where I want to both destroy and adore them at the same time, yet I still keep them. Misnurture 1 is a culmination of these ideals, rooted deeply in this uncanny balance. Each element used is a representation of this wavering feeling to elicit these see-sawing emotions within whoever views it. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/39de8ad49951d9dfc6abc6ca28123ca8911f4a7f8d2b2cce01e0f6de5aeaa783/closeup_6.jpg" data-mid="195504317" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/39de8ad49951d9dfc6abc6ca28123ca8911f4a7f8d2b2cce01e0f6de5aeaa783/closeup_6.jpg" /> Eggs house life in its beginning stages, and the outsides are delicate and can easily break, especially if it were to fall, but cement is an everlasting material that is much harder to damage. The egg shape represents nurturing and fragility, yet is contrasted by the weight and suspension of the cement. Within each cement egg is an object of mine that holds a dual memory. The objects are both enveloped, yet entombed. <img width="3005" height="3617" width_o="3005" height_o="3617" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cb61bf1658fc31a97bc4012615d8f2c7052233debdd933316d4884a3352f957f/floor.jpg" data-mid="195504320" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cb61bf1658fc31a97bc4012615d8f2c7052233debdd933316d4884a3352f957f/floor.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/343c2e6aa68395861a5b0aef652c000086b5c3bcecdd131d00d83270971f2907/floor_4.jpg" data-mid="195504324" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/343c2e6aa68395861a5b0aef652c000086b5c3bcecdd131d00d83270971f2907/floor_4.jpg" /> Each rope is attached to a rusty, old, patinaed pipe. The pipe appears to be decrepit and cannot sustain weight, yet it is made of steel and can handle the weight of the cement eggs plenty. Four eggs hang from this pipe, each at a different height, representing the hierarchy that which I view my family to be. The topmost, my father, the next one down, my mother, next my sister, and last my brother. And on the ground, beneath them all, lies a single egg. Me. And from this egg on the ground plays an audio track that contains audio of me crying in my car, talking about how much I wish for everyone to be okay, yet is contrasted by interrupting segments of my father being negative and aggressive, my mom crying and discussing the abuse she’s been through, and moments of my father and I laughing happily while watching The Three Stooges. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/46cd77bb0ab99cd0aeb156d3f36a8bcdaadd48bee0ce754f03111bba833841f4/closeup_8.jpg" data-mid="195504319" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/46cd77bb0ab99cd0aeb156d3f36a8bcdaadd48bee0ce754f03111bba833841f4/closeup_8.jpg" /> <img width="2886" height="3711" width_o="2886" height_o="3711" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7c0145aceaa4c4c2766e5e8c3b2e240d04448915ddb024de6f8f358f5469943a/all_2.jpg" data-mid="195504307" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7c0145aceaa4c4c2766e5e8c3b2e240d04448915ddb024de6f8f358f5469943a/all_2.jpg" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/39751ee37358e43368753f9d16d5799276f55aecf1fae1106fe48ef6a156097e/floor_3.jpg" data-mid="195504323" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/39751ee37358e43368753f9d16d5799276f55aecf1fae1106fe48ef6a156097e/floor_3.jpg" /> All of these contrasting elements come together to be harmonious yet disruptive to encapsulate the essence of what the objects within the eggs represent. That my family is both good and bad, and both of these qualities exist within them all simultaneously. And the single egg, me, lying beneath the other suspended eggs that could drop at any moment, my family, represents the hope I have that things will some way, somehow, get better. Despite the monotonous limbo that I find us all in, I have faith that we will all be okay. https://christinamelchiorre.com/dissonance-1 Sun, 15 Oct 2023 02:34:19 +0000 Christina Melchiorre https://christinamelchiorre.com/dissonance-1 dissonance In Dissonance, I am delving into the emotionally intimate space that I’ve lived in for so long where both these negative and positive beacons of connection exist as one unit. The stuffed wolf plushie that I’ve had since adolescence makes me think of the fond, warm memory of my mother gifting it to me, yet at the same time, I’m reminded of my bratty nagging that begged her to get it for me in the first place when we didn’t have the money for it to begin with. Both of these memories exist together as one within the small body of the soft yet haunting plushie, yet I still keep it despite the negativity attached to it. &nbsp; <img width="1920" height="1022" width_o="1920" height_o="1022" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/befa42954555d5cafc27aca391933dd08e8339ec4f6b03adc8a2f4c85840154b/dissonance_screenshot.png" data-mid="193719596" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/befa42954555d5cafc27aca391933dd08e8339ec4f6b03adc8a2f4c85840154b/dissonance_screenshot.png" /> <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c0aac94eb5c36d95d11e6d855c7f0e58ce793e182e5a8588f474ced3bb32bd07/IMG_7885.JPG" data-mid="195509693" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c0aac94eb5c36d95d11e6d855c7f0e58ce793e182e5a8588f474ced3bb32bd07/IMG_7885.JPG" /> <img width="1932" height="2492" width_o="1932" height_o="2492" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/68032ec166144b38853cfd683a175b909ed99a0e5c2985088bd99b86c404f19c/sdfsfsdfsdfsdf.jpg" data-mid="195509769" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/68032ec166144b38853cfd683a175b909ed99a0e5c2985088bd99b86c404f19c/sdfsfsdfsdfsdf.jpg" /> <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/84286aebc268537379ad97670152409c606789fec6164c7c7189b8284dd4350f/IMG_79122.jpg" data-mid="195509695" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/84286aebc268537379ad97670152409c606789fec6164c7c7189b8284dd4350f/IMG_79122.jpg" /> <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b1dab74abb656b9b3555440ee770199041be42f1d12ebb5b48d02fe2b9d6ead6/IMG_7889.JPG" data-mid="195509694" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b1dab74abb656b9b3555440ee770199041be42f1d12ebb5b48d02fe2b9d6ead6/IMG_7889.JPG" /> Along with capturing moments like these, I am aiming to share my findings for reasons I have yet to discover, along with reasons I am already aware of. I already know the dysfunction that exists within my family, yet I want to know more about where it started, how much it has truly affected each of us, and if anything can be done to stop it. If whether these answers lie within each individual, my family as a whole, or if there aren’t any answers at all. All I know is that I feel an intuitive drive to discover these answers, with the hope that these answers do exist, and that the dysfunction can finally stop. But even so, as I search for answers, analyze my past, and explore the coexistence of these positive and negative experiences, I find that my discoveries and inquiries support my choice to remain connected to my family, as I am jointly suspended between moments of uplifting love and weighted negligence. <img width="1386" height="918" width_o="1386" height_o="918" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f2c56e289cc330baed6c3038993c5a9c33936875f3ed10e1d07f85eac886dcbc/Screenshot-2020-09-03-21.43.20.png" data-mid="195509699" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f2c56e289cc330baed6c3038993c5a9c33936875f3ed10e1d07f85eac886dcbc/Screenshot-2020-09-03-21.43.20.png" /> https://christinamelchiorre.com/to-the-person-i-still-love-1 Sun, 15 Oct 2023 02:36:00 +0000 Christina Melchiorre https://christinamelchiorre.com/to-the-person-i-still-love-1 to the person i still love