Volatile Rest by Ky McDonald

“My painting practice is rooted in depicting indoor/outdoor spaces that elicit a sense of isolation and drama. Through the content of my work, I strive to depict a space that is unoccupied yet holds emotional baggage from past or future inhabitants. I explore the feelings of a space during an absence of social experiences, and the increased ability that we have to look inwards at ourselves during our times of solitude. Through my work I look to mystify the concept of place with the integration of natural and human made elements within the composition. I integrate post and beam structures that expand a natural landscape, and integrate globe lights that seemingly hang from the sky. I explore the implication of habitation in a wide open natural environment with minimal human made structural elements that separate the inside and outside world. The use of chairs and dining tables in my art represent a setting for rest, contemplation, and social interactions.

Chairs are a solitary vessel for humans that serve as an anchor for place and time. For me, the chairs that sit empty without serving their purpose elicit a sense of isolation and emptiness, even when gathered together. They are a place to still with your emotional baggage. The chair temporarily takes the weight and sometimes the burden. It is a servant for us, and a companion in solitude. Exploration of themes like isolation, solitude, socialization, natural and built environments remain central to my artistic development as I continue to make art in order to navigate and express myself in our volatile and uncertain times.”

Size: 18×24
Medium: Oil on Canvas