My work

For a couple of months now I had been making myself believe that the reason why I like to make the same objects again and again was because I liked production work. I came to the realization that this has never been the case. I have been dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder since I was eight years old. Part of the problem for people who suffer from OCD is repetition. Repetition, depending on the type of OCD can be beneficial and negative as well. Mine has plenty of both. Though my moment of clarity, illumination, or enlightenment as some call it has come a bit late in my studies as a masters of fine arts major, I know that it is better that I truly accept my work in the direction that my OCD leads me to. Perhaps, this is the best explanation I can give to my fellow artists, readers and friends out there as of why I am always doing the same thing over and over and over. I enjoy repetition, I endure it, I live by it and I cannot live without it. I tried to mask the reason of why I did the same object in multiples, multiple times. I often came up with how in the 1950’s America was revolutionized by the birth of consumerism, mass production, the war being over, and women being stay home moms. I was really trying to associate my work with a time period/ a phase or a place in history that dealt with the issue of multiples and production and innovation. After thinking through and thorough, I realized that I could not come up with a good enough excuse that would really fit into why I do the things I do. Therefore, I give up. I give up! And, I will continue to do my work repetitively because doing so fulfills a part of my being that I simply cannot change. I’ve taken all kinds of medicines, tried all kinds of remedies and nothing seems to lessen the obsession but the repetitive motion of my actions. My work reflects the effect of these repetitive actions. I recreate objects that trigger my emotions such as household appliances, mechanical gadgets and simple pleasures. Household appliances have fascinated me since I was a little girl. While growing up in Sonora Mexico, I would see my grandmother make covers for the many household appliances like our blender, the mixer and even the toaster. I always loved the smooth texture of such objects and the coolness of the chromed metal on my face and fingers and not to mention the vast array of colors and chrome that decorated each of these items. My mom had a juicer, a “brawn” juicer. It was a big, white and it had a smooth black plastic push stick. I was amazed at how you could insert carrots, apples, cucumbers into the slot and juice would come out of the drain hole. I have also, since I can remember, been attracted to all kinds of mechanical and electrical gadgets such as radios, fans, TV’s and anything with wires attached to it. I blew up the fuse box once when I was in junior high trying to fix a radio with scotch tape instead of electrical tape. The simple pleasures in life for me are things that I consider to be fancy, a tea set, an antique brush, comb and mirror set, and any object that has been handed down from one generation to another that has sentimental value rather than monetary value.
Call me crazy, call me what you like. You decide for yourself. Thanks for reading. I will keep you posted.