idelett de la bat
blue wonder
the lovell gallery, november 2013
blue velvet material and fluff, red thread, wood, sieve, iron, sandbags, utensils
dimensions variable
artist statement
As an artist I concern myself with psychological excavation. Like an archaeologist, I performed an initial survey in which the goal was to identify if any archaeological sites were in the area. A scan of the ground revealed two artefacts: a paralyzing fear within myself and an “out of the blue” naivety. The subsequent surface inspection exposed a fear of losing control that resulted in a psychological inner repression. The question was: What was I repressing and why?
Archaeologists must decide whether the site they have found has the potential to further their knowledge of the culture that left their trace. I decided that the fear and the naivety were sure traces of something deeper. If the excavation could provide me with answers and relief from my discomfort, it was worth it to preserve this site. My excavation uncovered a repressed and shamed inner child. Blue velvet material references my core material of a wondrous, royal, distant and “out of the blue” inner child. Repression suggested that something was hidden and the velvet material lent itself to excavation. I used blades and different types of sandpaper to make both intense and sensitive marks referencing the hurtful and delicate psychological processes. The excavation process produced fluff that was filtered further in order to reveal fragments. In terms of the psychological process these fragments were: see me, hear me and allow me to be.
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