Sometimes I Think I’m Broken
9’ x 4’ x 3’
Poplar tree trunk, harp strings, pipe, zig-zag springs, upholstered bark, fabric
2017
2017 Artist Intern
Artist Statement
This sculpture is a visual conversation about vulnerability. To enter this level of communication one person must squeeze into the heart of the tree while the other strums the harp strings. The sound reverberates through the pipes to create a healing resonant chamber that opens the space. I was inspired by the notion of how a cast on the body restricts your movement, but it is so you can move again. Although there is a crushing weight in the statement of feeling broken, it is such a positive step in that vulnerability of being able to reach out to someone for guidance. Like having a conversation, one person must embrace that feeling by squeezing into the vulnerable space of the trunk and receiving an answer of healing through the pipes from the other person on the outside. The meaning of family is at the root of my work and how when paired with establishing an individual identity the two are pitted against each other in dialogue. The tree takes on a bodily quality with its bark removed, exposing its marred flesh; yet it also represents the embrace of a family tree. It emphasizes how family can both weigh the individual down but simultaneously provide that collective comfort. It is under the vulnerability imbued in this statement that I find a healthy conjoining of these two spheres that provide a space for healing.
Alicia Proudfoot
Born: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 1994
Resides: Halifax, Novia Scotia, Canada
Education
MFA, NSCAD University, 2019
BFA, University of Alberta, 2016