3D Liminal Self-Portrait

May 16, 2022 10:17 pm

This wood sculpture is a self-portrait. I’d normally paint a self portrait on a canvas. For years, I have assisted in the woodshop. I had a vision for this piece. It pushed me off my canvas and more at the helm in the shop. Wood sculpture and assemblage are new for me. In the past, I have done traditional self-portraits. This time, I wanted to paint myself from the inside out. I wanted to capture my essence, pivotal memories, and significant experiences. A flat canvas just wasn’t going to cut it. I had to work in 3D. I had to listen to my “inner artist” and silence voices screaming for me to be traditional. Lastly, I wanted to express the liminal nature of “me.” I wanted to communicate how, in my soul, I am my past, present, and future. I needed a way move through time and space to tell this part of my story. It required portals: doors, sky, air, water, and a way to move in and out of a space. This made experimenting with 2D and 3D expressions of these gateways wholly necessary. This is my “old style” mixed with a new execution.

I titled this piece “Self-Portrait.” I am mindful of the hope that it opens people up to defining the “self-portrait” differently. It doesn’t need to be an exact replica of your face or your body. I created a wood sculpture because I felt it let me describe myself best. The self-portrait doesn’t need to be literal. There is freedom to define yourself in a way that makes sense for you. If you only describe yourself in the “Right Now” you miss the “Yesterday” and the “Tomorrow” you will someday be. If you were to try to capture yourself in the present moment, while considering the past and the future you, what would your self-portrait look like? Consider your answer and, perhaps, share it here at www.LiminalSpaceArt.com.

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