December 2014

30 8"x4" mirrors

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

This site specific installation represents the struggled with social anxiety that I had as a child and teenager. Whether it was talking to one person or several, feelings of nervousness and fear overwhelmed me. A feeling that everyone in a room was staring at me would arise and it would make me freeze and to help ease myself I would always look at the ground. This stems from the habit of avoiding confrontation so instead of being mentally strong I would shy away. My social anxiety stems from the battle with negative thoughts and looking down on ones self as a person. This installation represents the struggle with social anxiety and to become more socially active. By using mirrors on the ground, when the observer stares at the installation from above, one can see your own reflection which represents looking into ones self to find strength to overcome obstacles. While looking at the installation, you can also see the sky representing the transition from being negative to always staying  positive. 

The reasoning behind placing the installation at The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic was because this was the location when the realization was made that I looked at my feet a lot and started to think about the deeper psychological meanings behind it so with this installation I am marking the transition from negativity to positivity.