Artist Statement

While I was gone, I had a lot of difficulty balancing the life I left at home and the life I experienced while traveling. There were complications at home, so being separated by the time difference in addition to our equally busy but incredibly different schedules left everyone involved feeling tired and alone. A result of this is that I have conflicting memories of the trip. When I think about the Taste of Italy experience and the emotions I had in my traveling life, I have so many great memories and reflective moments. The longer I sit and think about it however—when I start talking with people about the emotions I left behind in my home life—new sides of the experiences and memories start to show their faces.

Circumstances at home turned sour shortly after my departure, leaving loved ones to cope with trying times on their own. Italy had been a travel goal for us as a couple, so me getting the chance to go, but having to go without her, stings a bit. While I was experiencing sculptures of people, animals, and dogs, my then-fiance’s dog—her best friend for 15 years—had to be put down. While I was there in Italy…she was here alone. This sort of duality, this depth to the memories of the trip, it’s something that’s stuck with me. It hasn’t tainted the memories of the trip, but it gave an acute depth to the trip as a whole that no one—myself included—would ever think about unless they took time to acknowledge every side. There’s a second layer of memories lingering behind the surface. It makes me think of what other memories I have that may have completely different experiences behind the otherwise pleasant facade.