Aspen Crawford: capstone

Abstract

The artist's statement: My work is driven by emotional and conceptual questions as a means to explore both the self and the world around us. Making serves as a way to navigate these complexities, much like solving a puzzle. I'm curious about how different forms, materials, and ideas can be placed in relationship with one another, and what new meanings emerge through these interactions. This curiosity naturally leads to a focus on relationships—not just between people, but between self and society, body and mind, memory and emotion. At the core of my practice is a desire to explore how objects, images, and ideas inform each other. I approach this through found objects, mixed media sculpture, and installation, seeking to uncover the often ambiguous ways ideas connect. These themes are grounded in the influence of feminist theory, relational aesthetics, and psychology, which shape both my conceptual framework and material choices. I'm particularly interested in how perception forms identity, and how meaning shifts depending on the viewer. Many of my works are interactive and invite reflection, asking the audience to slow down, observe closely, or engage physically. In this way, the viewer becomes an active participant in the piece, helping to complete or activate it. Because of this relational focus, my process is slow, meticulous, and intentional. I value precision and clarity, even when working with chaotic or emotionally charged materials. Ideas emerge gradually and are refined through experimentation until a piece feels balanced and resolved. Most recently, my work has turned toward exploring invisible connections, how things relate, depend on, or echo one another, even when those ties are difficult to trace. Through these works, I aim to create spaces for questioning and reflection of both the world around us and the one within.