Artist Statement

Artist Statement

In my work I explore mythology and abstract subjects such as life and death, using anthropomorphism and other symbolism to analyze the relationships humans have with these concepts. Combining these explorations through various digital media such as animation, illustration and robotics I create one interactive experience based on my own fabricated mythology about the afterlife.

I have always had a curiosity and love for the natural world.  Wolves especially have had an impact on me as an artist and a person.  Their beauty, strength, independence and dedication to family have always resonated with me.  My love and spiritual connection with wolves drove me to learn more - to study their anatomy, behavior and their relationship with the world.  I simultaneously became more fascinated with the mythology surrounding wolves and the recurring themes connecting canines and the afterlife.

Though wolves’ are known for their predatory nature I have never seen them as a threat but as a vital and intricate piece to the flow of life and, through my own experiences I have come to approach the subject of death with the same outlook. 

Through my work viewers come face to face with my interpretation of death as represented by the three wolves, Obitus, Nex and Mortis. Each entity’s name, as well as its characteristics, are representations of different types of fatalities and are linked to how society perceives them, as well as being a representation of the mind, body and soul.

The characters act as my own artist rendition of the Greek guardian of the underworld Cerberus, and inspired me to continue my studies of mythology. My research influenced me to develop my characters further through inventing a creation story and adding to their appearance.

The digital tools and software I use in my work help me strive to better understand these characters and help me to bring them further into reality, by giving them a history, creating a narrative of my characters’ creation and personality. Through mediums like animation and animatronics I can explore how my characters move, react and interact to their surroundings. Through these installations I intersect the world of the spirits with the world of the living.

 

-Christiana Broughton