bleaching my teeth, 2022
Carlee Thompson
See it On Campus: Level 1
Visitor InfoCeramic, found objects
bleaching my teeth is a deconstruction of home exploring the intimacy of physical space through ceramics and the adornment of found objects spanning 5’ x 6’5” x 4’5”. The stacked structures contend with the commodification of consistent living spaces and experiences while exploring the exteriors and interiors of the home. The wheel-thrown and slab-built ceramic vessels reference architectural motifs commonly found on the façades of Vancouver households and apartment buildings. The concrete and brick objects offer industrial aesthetics giving the sculpture feelings of animosity and utilitarian ideals which contrast expediated trends in a capitalist economy.
Approach
How can I celebrate the banal while also pushing against heteronormative ideals to highlight subversive narratives? bleaching my teeth embodies the vulnerability of domestic residence in relation to constructed realities of personhood and precarity.
As an artist, I look for inspiration from the world around me, often finding myself to be an observer of my reality. Therefore I am always looking to perceive and study space in an attempt to define and develop a language surrounding chaos and control. Sometimes feeling like a guest in my own body this drive to create is a process of healing my autonomy and recognizing the conditions of the physical world which I inhabit.
A peak into the process…
Through the use of ceramics, sculpture, and installation bleaching my teeth emphasizes abstraction as a non-objective reference to the ever-present consistency of tomorrow. The staged and curated display of information offers the viewer an aestheticized idea of chaos in the mundane and beauty in the banal.
