Artist statement in revision

“Isolating yourself from everything that lives merely deadens you to all the opportunities for love which is the heart of contemplation.” –Thomas Merton
My work describes the constant psychological tension between the feeling of isolation and the search for solitude. While one would think that a person who feels isolated wouldn’t want to seclude themselves and shut out the world, it is just the opposite. When the feelings of isolation arise, solitude is then sought after. One could feel isolated in any setting and think of another that would take away those feelings of isolation. The various rooms and wooded settings are almost dreamlike spaces created in my mind where solitude could be found.