An Exhibition Catalogue
"I constantly have to remind myself that the only way for me to make drawings is to show up and make marks. Initially, this is terrifying for me, but with time and patience, my process continues. Usually entailing me looking back at myself in the mirror, trying to get out of my head and muster up some confidence; processing emotions, relationships, family, the past, present, and the unknown future. In many ways, I see my self-portraits as Genre drawings, everyday events with less emphasis on physical duties and more relating to the obligations of the heart and mind.
Right after I started making this body of work I moved a few miles down the way into an off-grid cabin in the Oregon coastal range. This has had a profound affect on my work, my outlook on everyday life and my To-Do lists! For the most part, I am quieter in myself. This hushed stillness allows for a different process, one that helps to balance the scale and offset the more dynamic energy I feel being reflected in the mirror. The floral still-life is still looking back at me, exudes life and death, but it is calm and plays soft and slow."
-Kris Hargis
