(Im)permanence, June 2019–2022
Exterior paint on pool floor
For this series, I painted different pictures on the pool floor for four consecutive years, each during the month of June. I applied the paint directly on to the floor of the pool, where the drawings remain fixed and inseparable from its surroundings. Continuing the discourse about site specificity, I wanted to use unique paintings to conceptualize a space that emphasizes the physical relationship between art and location. Still as a site-oriented work, the project reflects ideas of originality and authenticity through the created paintings, characterized by the unrepeatability of the art and distinctiveness of place. Using the pool floor as a canvas, my works seek to redefine the site of art into a more public realm, outside its traditional context.
I’m specifically drawn to art’s ability to evoke an emotional and intellectual response. The pool provides context to the painting, facilitating the audience to interact with the picture and also one another. While the history of painting alludes to compositional elements that incorporate the spectator into the art, my works utilize site specificity to address the audience’s place not just as a spectator but also as being a part of the site. By painting on the floor of the pool, the audience is physically present within the spatial conditions of the site specific art. Through the environment that sustains the relationship of audience to the painting, my works seek to highlight the experiences that take place within this distinct space.
