Audrey McKenzie

I am interested in how the multiple replicates memory and affects an object’s meaning. When anything exists in the multiple, it has the ability to reach and live with a wide audience. While a painting or sculpture can be seen by many, a singular painting or sculpture cannot be lived with by many. Once an object is lived with, it becomes part of the everyday. Its meaning and memory can grow with the individuals interacting with it. I like pulling moments from my life out of their context and recreating them into a few images so they can live outside of myself and my own meaning. Largely, my work centers around my mental health and how I have tried to accept myself as I am. I love that when my work leaves me, it can become something else; it can be an affirmation, or something entirely separate from my intentions. Since the start of the pandemic, I have been focusing more on my body and accepting it in the same way I accept my mental health, rather than overlooking it. I have begun to reflect on memories and moments which echo the way I interact with my body today. I have learned my mental health is a part of my body. I find catharsis in sharing moments that let me discuss how I feel about my body and myself.