Virginia Boutwell
Divine Symbols in Red and Green
My work explores symbolism, interpretation, and their implications for art in a contemporary context. I attempt to reach the intersection of representation and commentary on representation. Writing a statement about it feels hypocritical, as the meaning behind the work is intended to reach the audience on its own. However, I enjoy alluding to the ubiquity and sovereignty of icons - especially now. Our growing reliance to technology and the supplementary nature of the internet effectively leaves us with images and icons that have been abstracted into oblivion, leading us into rabbit holes of our own convictions.
Icons are the catalyst for free thought, yet they are rooted in conventions that art often seeks to transcend. This is the paradox of iconography. Symbolism is constructed by a system that demands reflection and critical examination. How can an icon promote free thought when its fabricated, abstract existence is designed to anchor the viewer to a specific reality? This tension between the icon's intended purpose and the desire for uninhibited thought is what I explore in my work.
As the world around us gets more complex, the language we use to interpret it becomes more abstract.
How we as individuals react to this language ends up being how we live our lives. These are the ways I have seen people handle this burden;
-To assign meaning to anything and everything, and to then force meaning upon one’s self.
-To recognize the chaotic nature of symbolism, and to then accept the chaotic nature of life.
-To denounce meaning in anything, and therefore one’s self.
The changing nature of this work emplores its viewer not to side with one option, but to interact with symbolic art from each perspective. The viewer’s proximity to the piece shows them either a jumbled mess of line and shape, a collection of highly charged imagery (green), or a collection of ambiguous symbols (red).
Without physical engagement, a symbolist painting remains merely an expression of the artist, constrained by the conventions of hermeneutics. This painting aims to break those conventions, and prompt viewers to personally reflect on the institution of symbolism by adding an interactive dimension to the experience.
Through this physical and sensory experience, I aim to provoke reflection on both the mysticism and the disorder of life. I hope that the piece's overwhelming visual and perceptual elements conceal my hypocrisies while encouraging viewers to have their own thoughts and interpretations.
Divine Symbols in Red and Green, 2024 Acrylic, Xbox Kinect 1, Isadora 4 x 6 ft.
