Lisa Genovese

Artist Statement

There are not many things that matter in this world - in the grand scheme of things. School, work, "Art"... are not worth giving a second thought. When loss is experienced, the world in which we live is put into perspective. My life within the past 5 months has consisted of one loss after another. Creating an intensifying feeling of urgency, despair and emptiness - A total lack of motivation, save for one thing, to document and recapture.

My work is based upon the concept of the memento mori. Unlike the standard skull imagery, my focus has been on more personal objects and more importantly, their absence. My current series of more intimate, delicate drawings are a desperate attempt to document. I have an unrelenting desire to record the things that I have lost as well as the emptiness that they have left behind. Recording these losses allows me to become accustomed to each absence in my own manner. Drawing my experience is a form of therapy for me - it allows me control over the situation and more time to heal. More than anything, these drawings are created out of respect as well as a fear of forgetting - a need for remembrance.

My current medium is sharpie marker. A common, non-delicate material whose presence is short lived compared to that of archival inks. Its short lifespan is meant to emphasize the preciousness and urgency I feel concerning my subjects. It stresses my need to bear witness, to take in as much as I can, while I am still able. The exactness I have achieved with the marker speaks of my increased need for control. Although I have utilized the material in a more intricate manner, the rawness of it demonstrates the base desires I feel for what I have lost.

Artist Highlights

• ArtWanted.com Gallery:    Art/Drawing Misc.