Angela Guest
“When bouncing atoms configure themselves into a human existence… we have plans. Most of us start out thinking that our lives will have a definitive and idyllic start, middle, and end; like all the good stories and fun games we invent. But eventually we may come to the realization that our story is often a confusing and anticlimactic one, and our once exciting game board of “Life” is broken. While, when we realize this, our actions may suddenly feel futile, I find this futility of the “broken game board” and chaos of life to be beautiful. In my art, I try to depict the broken game board as an odd something; wiggly and moving, colors clashing and melding… but beautiful. I make this type of art to process what my own life is and what it will become. I use thread and fabric in my artistic practice because of how intertwined these materials are with living itself. Thread and fabric are with us and on us every day, to keep us warm, to help us feel a sense of individual style, to assist in our general living (and think metaphorical phrases such as “thread of life” or “fabric of existence”).
Life for me often feels so abstract and out of my control, but yet incredibly beautiful. We see a pattern or plan that we had expected to follow but it is often not how our lives will eventually go. Obstacles get in the way, opportunities diverge us to other places, threads break, and yet I feel comfort in knowing that we are all navigating this broken game board together.”
