Jasmyn Shumate discussed the experience of interacting with the sculpture, Expansion, by Paige Bradley
Interview Summary
The participant chose to discuss their interaction with a sculpture entitled, “Expansion,” by Paige Bradley. When searching for another art piece online, the participant began to look through other pieces as well, where they connected strongly with this one and its themes of growth and expansion. This piece is one that has served as an inspiration for their own composition works. As they interacted with the piece, they felt a sense of calm at first, followed by a feeling of excitement and gratitude around growing in life. Due to the positive feelings and revelation they had of realizing they’re not alone, they mainly had high points in their interaction; however, a low point came from the curiosity of questioning what comes next in their life. They’re inspired by the message of taking a step back to breathe that is present in the sculpture through its depiction of a woman in a mindful, yoga pose.
Knowing the risks the artist took in the creative process, the participant learned about the reward that can come from taking such risks and trusting your choices. They believe that the artist intended to affect a small population, but they don’t think that there was an intention to affect the world; they describe the piece as being a “hidden gem.” Regarding their own understanding of the world, the interaction taught them about vulnerability and shared experiences with others. In terms of authenticity, they reflected on seeing themself depicted in the sculpture and discussed feeling connected to all versions of themself. With ultimate meaning, they discuss veering away from the American dream and allude to being guided by a higher power in terms of timing and circumstances, while maintaining some control over their life. They did have a perceived interaction with God, mentioning God’s acknowledgement of guiding them through life so far and suggesting what they need to do going forward.
Interview Transcript
Introduction
Interviewer: Okay, so we'd like you to focus on your interaction with the particular artwork that someone else created.
Participant: Okay.
Description
Interviewer: And I know that you've already chosen your artwork.
The artwork does not necessarily have to be the most important to you, but it should be meaningful and emotionally salient, and it helps if your memories are vivid. But you don't really need to remember everything about it. So what is the artwork that you selected?
Participant: The artwork that I selected is “Expansion” by Paige Bradley. It's a sculpture, in New York, I believe.
Interviewer: Great, Thank you. And then do you have I know you don't have the sculpture with you, but you have something that you could share potentially on screen.
Participant: Yeah, I just have a screenshot of it. So what, I just share my screen?
Interviewer: I think you're able to.
Participant: It says something about security preferences. Okay. Zoom will not be able to report the contents of their screen and troops. So I think I have so far I just done this right, I have a, it's on my private. I have to switch out something on my privacy wall, but I think it says this, and out the assistant.
Interviewer: Yeah, that's all right. Yeah, if it's any difficulty with sharing it now, you can always just send it
if you wanted to. Just send it to my email, then I can look at it, and then we'll all know what you're referencing.
Participant: Okay, just, okay. So my outlook is almost loading. It's like, yeah, I think it's just come through now so,
Interviewer: Perfect.
Why did you choose this one? (Specialness)
Interviewer: Okay, so why did, yeah, I got it. So why did you choose to talk about this one for the study?
Participant: So it was funny, because in the written interview there was another, I think that there was like a similar question about interacting with a artwork, and it was another sculpture called Break Through My Mold, or Breaking Through My Mold, or something like that that was in Philadelphia, and I wanted to see if there was like the sculpture that could give me. I had a really awakening experience when I saw it a couple of years ago, and I just wanted to see if there were, I was actually looking for references for a composition that I was working on, and I just wanted to see if there was another artwork that was similar, particularly a sculpture, and actually that, I went to the original sculpture website, and then I went to like the Google Images and saw that it was like a list of 20 different sculptures. And Paige, she was actually,if i'm not mistaken, like within that top 5. And I was just like oh, my God! Like expansion, the growing of you know, into something else, the becoming of the next you know version of who you are, the next step on your journey, and the, you know, when I just think about becoming, I kind of think of like an electrifying outlet inside of you. You're kind of just ripping off your old self and you know, walking into the light of your new self, and this sculpture, it actually, she has a lighting component into it. So when I read about it, she had the old, she had it as an old piece in her archive and then she broke it on the floor, and then she like casted it in bronze back together, and then she put like lighting inside of it, so when you see it, it lights up the pose of the figures in a very meditating mindfulness pose and I was just like, you know, this is exactly where I feel like, for like this stage of where I feel like I am in my life right now. So it really was just like on point, on time, and I was just like Wow, it's just, you know. It was just crazy how it was just like a sequence of different artworks that I had seen so really visually articulate and depict you know what I was going through in my life.
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. So now please tell me about the experience and process of interacting with this artwork by answering some questions.
Process of Creation
What led up to the interaction? What motivated you to explore this piece?
Interviewer: You talked about this all a little bit already. But what led up to the interaction? What motivated you to explore this piece?
Participant: So one of the composition works I was kind of working on was called “Noah’s Boat.” And it was about, you know, like just kind of being in a steady groove in life, and you know, looking for kind of like that big moment. You know, like that, like revelation, eye-opening moment, and I, you know, when I saw that the photo, or not the photo, when I saw that the sculpture was in New York, I think it was on a river. It was surrounded by water, and there was like a bridge above it, and it just kind of, you know, showed me like visually the steps in life like that 1, 2, 3 like where you are, how you're gonna get there, and where you want to be. And you know, when I, you know, just saw that and then I reference back to what I was, you know, kind of trying to do or trying to make it was just like okay this is definitely a visual reference that I can use to draw inspiration from to kind of help me creatively brainstorm through some of, you know, the thoughts that I currently have, for you know what I'm working on.
When and where did the experience happen? Who was involved besides you (if anyone)?
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. And then you also touched on this a little bit as well, but did you want to say anything more about when and where the experience happened, and if anyone else was involved besides you?
Participant: So yeah, it was just me. I was sitting in my room.
This was probably about I wanna say 3 weeks ago and you know I was just I was searching the net and I, you know, looked up the previous sculpture and start, I always do it because I've had that sculpture as a just an inspirational reference for a lot of years now and then, you know, I just started reading other art websites and art blogs, and, like I said I had went to look up an image about this particular scope, the other particular sculpture Then I click the link, and it had a list of different, you know, sculptures and this this current sculpture Expansion was like within the top 5, I believe, and I was just like
wow, like that pose, that meditation yoga pose, it was like a deep breath, because it was, it just was, it felt, really assuring because I've been kind of feeling like, you know, it's just me against the world lately, since the pandemic. It's just been really hard to just try to express myself and my feelings. They're all in my head. They're all there, but you know it just was like, you know, I don't need to say anything if I don't have the words like this visual alone was just enough for me to know that, Hey, if there's anything that I can do to communicate, I can just reference this, you know this piece, this artwork, and you know, just let it do the talking for itself, and then spend more time, really, just you know, working through whatever is on my mind that day, and just figuring out how to, you know, carry on if you will, so.
What were you thinking and feeling at different times throughout the process of interacting with the artwork?
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. And then could you talk a little bit about what you were thinking and feeling at different times throughout the process of interacting with this sculpture?
Participant: Yeah. So the first feeling was definitely like a calming, because it was just like an assurance of I'm exactly where I need to be. I'm exactly where I wanted to be. The second feeling was just the electricity in the sculpture made me have a sense of gratitude and just an excitement of you know this is just a part of life. This is just a part of growing, and that expansion piece is, you know, every time you grow you're always gonna, you know, have a newness, or renewedness about you, and then ,you know, the as a figure as I kind of. I started from like the left side of the well, probably it would be the right side of the sculpture, and I kind of went on a diagonal, you know, in terms of my perspective. I saw, you know, she had like the 2 buns, and I used to wear my hair like that in middle school and you know she had her head lifted up and I you remember, when I was a kid writing this poem or not a poem, writing this essay for a contest, and the last line was, "We walk into the classroom with our heads held high." So it was just like all these different references or things that I was experiencing over you know, my, you know, just journey in life just all kind of encapsulated into one with this particular sculpture, and I could literally see myself as that sculpture. So it was just like a moment of, not a moment, but definitely an experience of self-reflection.
Can you describe any high points, low points or challenges, or turning points along the way?
Interviewer: Thank you. And then can you describe any high points, low points or challenges, or turning points in your interaction with this sculpture?
Participant: I was, so, it was definitely I would say like a 99% high of just oh, my God! Revelation! Like you know you're You're not alone. You know it's not something where you have to feel like you're like an outcast or anything like that. But the 1% was like, okay, well, what's next? You know what's gonna happen or what's gonna be that widget inside your engine to really kind of propel you? What's gonna be that, you know, I mean, you just like, count. It's like your rocket. The countdown has begun, but what's gonna be that thing that's gonna just shoot you up into the stars? So because I didn't really, I didn't have that inside of me, I didn't have that understanding, or not understanding, but that answer in the sculpture was, I didn't really get that, you know, next piece of information from just my interaction with it like that light bulb moment. It was kind of just like, okay, so since I don't have it, and that's the most frustrating part of you know my life right now, then, I really just need to do what the sculpture is doing, and just close my eyes and take a deep breath, and I find myself doing that a lot when I just think a lot. And you know I'm always pacing my mind about, okay, what's going to be that, that you know that switch to really get everything where I want it to be and need it to be? And so it was still just like, hey, You know you're still,you're on your way like you're 95% there, you know you have all the tools, but you really just have to embrace these moments, because if you bypass them and you get what you want, then you won't really fully have a complete understanding of in a full circle moment of what of how and what it takes to get to where you are, and there's probably gonna have to be something that you have to pick back up and or fill in the gap or something, and you don't want to do that when you're where you want to be. You want to literally just keep going up that mountain. So that would probably be my high/low point when interacting with this artwork.
Let's talk a little bit about the impact of the artwork on you and your life.
What did you learn from the process of interacting with the artwork? Did you learn anything about yourself?
Interviewer: Great, Thank you. Let's talk a little bit about the impact of the artwork on you and your life. I know you've been talking about this kind of throughout, but what did you learn from the process of interacting with the artwork? Did you learn anything about yourself?
Participant: Yeah, you know it's funny, because when I was reading about how the sculpture was made, you know she broke it, and then she casted it in like a bronze. And you know she was scared when she did that creative process because she didn't know the outcome. So it really showed me about just taking risks and big leaps, and you know the high risk, high reward, kind of concept, or doing things that you know you're sure of or not second guessing yourself. And when you do those, when you are confident, you know, in who you are, your path and what you're going, and why you're doing something. You know you're kind of protecting yourself from a lot of the negativity and the doubt. And you know, when you bring everything together, you just, you, you are that light, you are that being, you know, and people will see it, people, those people who question it will be like oh, you know, like my bad, or you know they'll feel, you know, kind of down about how they treated you when you were, you know, kind of growing, and you know things like that, so it will be kind of like a, like a "I told you some moment" you know, for everybody, and including yourself.
Do you think that the artist intended the work to affect others or the world in any particular ways?
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. And then do you think that they, the sculptor, intended the work to affect others or the world in any particular ways?
Participant: So I would probably say 2 answers to that. I do feel like the sculptor intended to affect others, but I don't think the intention was to affect the world, and I mean that to say, this was like a, you know, a word of mouth kind of experience, or what's the word I'm looking for, illustration, or you know, articulation of their point. It was meant so that I can tell someone else in a very intimate and humbly way, and I feel like if it was to just, you know, be like the Statue of Liberty, like hey, here's, here it is world, and you know, here's the interpretation. You know peace, justice, freedom, equality for all, unity, I think it would have gone over some people's heads. So I think that by being there, because I've been to New York several times, and I've never ever ever seen this sculpture. So you know, and I love the water, so I'm like, okay, maybe there's something I was missing, and you know I was just like Wow! You know it was kind of like that hidden gem, and it, it's a brain and flock, and and other different publics, you know, to it when you're ready, like when you are ready to experience this artwork that’s when you, and you know the discreetness of it could have, you know, been one of the ways, or you know of one of the intentions for the artists, you know, to kind of have that sculpture at that location in this place, in this kind of environment, then to just, you know, highlight it to the world which you know, I do know other sculptures, you know have, you know, do, but yeah, I think this is kind of like a hidden gem.
Did your experience with the artwork affect your understanding of others or “the world?”
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. And then did your experience with the artwork affect your understanding of others or the world?
Participant: Yes, it did it. I would definitely say it brought me out of my shell a little bit, in that I I don't have, like too many answers to that, but it definitely gave me a sense that
at least, okay, I'll say to the world. Yes, because I can think in terms of whole, but when I'm thinking in terms of pieces and parts, I can't really think as clearly right now in terms of the sculpture. So to the world, yes, it I I'm able to look around and really see an evenness and balance of, you know, just life experiences and what's happening to other people as long as what's happened to me, it it like. Again, when I reference in the beginning of the interview. It really makes you feel humble, you know it really makes you feel so, and people been telling me that, you know, along this way, like "hey, It's not just happening to you." But when i'm thinking in terms of you know smaller parts, I understand, you know people's questioning, I get it, you know, but if you answer to me of those questions, you'll start to feel that separation of the pieces in you, and you have to figure out how to put it back together, because sometimes you just don't always want to expose your light, you know, you know, just like skin. You have a cut, you know, you're gonna have to cover that, you know. You can't just have it exposed open. So it just showed me that you know there is a, it's, there's, you know, it's okay to kind of open up, and it's okay to kind of share yourself, and you know just to be vulnerable with other people, but still understand that you know you don't have to compromise your light and compromise your comfort. I'll definitely say that you don't have to be uncomfortable to answer someone else's questions or to answer to anyone.
Interviewer: Okay, Great. Thank you. And I. I apologize. But do you mind if I take a 1 min pause, 1 second. Okay, I apologize for that. But, so now we can move on to the next prompt, which is a little bit longer.
When some people think about themselves, they see some parts of themselves as deeply true, real, or authentic.
If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about your true nature during the process of interacting with the artwork? Did you have any insights about your own authentic (or inauthentic) self?
Interviewer: So when some people think about themselves, they see some parts of themselves as deeply true, real, or authentic. If this idea resonates with you, Did you learn anything about your true nature during the process of interacting with this artwork? Did you have any insights about your own authentic or inauthentic self?
Participant: Good question. So I don't really have too much to say to that question as you can guess I'm definitely, you know, felt a mirroring connection, reflection of myself, and you know, interacting with the artwork. Partly which is why I chose it. What those authentic experiences, or just you know, as far as this work, well, okay, maybe I can do it backwards, and this may help me get to that. So I so i'll start like with her hair right? So I told you that I use I used to have before the pandemic like these have really long curly hair, and I cut it, and it showed me like I was really, I cut it mostly because I just got tired of the maintenance. It was just like too much, and I was like. I need something something more more simpler just because, you know, I have really long days, and you know, when I came home I remember, like everybody was shocked. They were like, oh, my God! You know they thought I was having a Brittany Spears moment or something, you know, not saying, you know, because, hey, we all have something that you know we're gonna be challenged by in life, but you know I felt like, oh, if I didn't have my hair like in a ponytail in a bun, or natural that there was something wrong with me, and I couldn't be grounded. I couldn't be peaceful, and I was just like, you know you are who you are, like, you know, as long as you feel confident, as long as you feel beautiful, then that's all that matters. So I don't feel different. I can. You know all I've been seeing since I'm home is, you know, pictures of my younger years and my, you know, old self, and i'm like I that's still me. I am still that person. There is no disconnect, in between me, so it is like, you know it's all right when I answer that question. Now you know. Why did you cut your hair? You know, whatever whatever you know. I just, I said, because that's what I wanted to do, you know, and I don't feel insecure about it, and it really shows me kind of other people's insecurities. You know, in terms of how they feel like they have to be, you know, groomed in a certain way, or I don't want to say groom, because everybody is groomed, but present themselves in a certain way, you know, to to meet others expectations. So inauthentic, authentic, and what else?
Interviewer: yeah, it was about your true self about your authentic self, or your inauthentic. So okay, yeah.
Participant: So, my true stuff, I it, it really was like again, like that, you know, go back to like English writing like is, or like, you know, like those similar, those similes that you know we were taught like or equal, or even, you know, it's just like I'm just seeing through myself. And you know I see, myself. I see just the openness of that sculpture, and you know, no matter where I'm at, the kind of day I had, or the mood I and I still know that that's a part of my experience. That's a part of me. So it doesn't give me any other idea of, you know what I am or what I am not, because I know, like, okay, you just need to get out this mood, or, you know. take a deep breath. Go for a walk whatever, and you'll see you haven't changed like nothing. Nothing bad, you know, is wrong or is happening. So yeah, I would definitely say it's just been, it's just been a check, it's been like a reference that I can use as a check and balance like. You know, check the negativity of you know how you think you are supposed to be in saying, look and what to do with that in your head, but then also balance it with today you did something different than than you did yesterday. It's a mile. You'll probably do something different. And what you want to do now is probably different than what you want to do 5 min ago or 5 min before. So it's just like a breathe. It's just like you know. Get back to yourself, you know. Kind of thing like ground yourself. So that's what I would. That's how I would answer that question.
Some people believe in ultimate meaning. This is defined as deep, underlying meaning that transcends subjective, personal meaning. It is about the nature of existence and identity, and it may include ideas about the significance of suffering, as well as spirituality.
If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about ultimate meaning during the process of interacting with the artwork?
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. And then, so some people believe in ultimate meaning. This is defined as deep, underlying meaning that transcends subjective personal meaning. It is about the nature of existence and identity and it may include ideas about the significance of suffering as well as spirituality. If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about ultimate meaning during the process of interacting with this sculpture?
Participant: Yeah, I, I learned that it can happen to you at any time, no matter what, good, obstacle, challenge, difficult. I wanna, I, so I graduated from college in 2018. I moved back home in the summer 2019, and I literally, in my opinion, had just the American, you know, checklist of what to do in life, you know, do great in school, play, you know, or engage in extra curricular activities, be a student leader, be a community role model, and you'll be golden. You'll have the American dream, white picket fence, and you know I thought I was on that path, but I was that, you know, there was my, you know, crescendo was still in the works, and you know it showed me that you, you're not, you can't really prepare yourself for any, you can't expect or not you can't expect, you definitely can expect. You can prepare, but you just don't know when, like these past couple of years I've just been like when but literally looking at the calendar. Is it gonna happen this day? The breakthrough happen this day, and this day, you don't know when. And you're gonna wear yourself down if you keep asking that question over and over and over again in your life, or in your head, excuse me, and it made me really say, okay, you know, not that my life isn't necessarily controlled by me, but I am definitely being guided by a higher being, higher power ,higher God, and because what I, it's not happening right now, you know or not right now. But you know before. So it's like. You know, I am literally not like in control of the destiny, but I'm in control of the destination. So I know I can get to this point, this point, that point, that point, this point, and it may not just be in ascend. It may be, you know, not a plateau, but just, you know, just, just going straight. You’re, you know, just horizontal, or whatever you know it's not just gonna be that, that rocket moment, kind of thing. So it has just been, you know, I feel like a opening kind of like in my in my in my spirit and my soul, you know it, it really feels like I'm opening up, you know, from the middle of myself versus me being able to just identify and see and, you know, go or me being led with my feet, or led with my hands, or led with my heart, or even my intuition, like, wherever this guidance is coming from, from like a outside, you know spiritual force is coming right from the middle of me, you know. So it's been really, you know interesting just to see that because, like I've never had that, you know, happen to me. So yeah, did I answer the question, or?
Some people believe or perceive a reality beyond the physical or material world. This may include religious beliefs/experiences (such as perceived interactions with God) but also may include mystical or transcendent experiences, or interaction with spirits.
Did you have any of these kinds of experiences during the interaction with the artwork?
Interviewer: Yeah, yeah, for sure, definitely, thank you. And this question kind of builds off of what you were talking about.
So some people believe or perceive a reality beyond the physical or material world. This may include religious beliefs and experiences, such as perceived interactions with God, but also may include mystical or transcendent experiences or interaction with spirits. Did you have any of these kinds of experiences during your interaction with this sculpture?
Participant: Yeah. I fully felt in my heart, you know that God was telling me something you know, God or in, and just was just like, okay, I wanted you to do it first, and then after I'm gonna, you know. So, you know, show you this is what you've been doing. This is where you've been. This is where I've been kind of guiding you and,and then I, you know, kind of I went on a walk a couple of days ago, and I just, you know, scanned around, and you know I just kind of felt that presence, you know in me and you know I wouldn't say crying, but just a little watery a little teary eyed, because it's like, you know. I'm just it's just, it was kind of like, hey, be disciplined, continue to be disciplined, and, you know, continue to, you know, keep a straight mind, don't have, you know, don't let negatively seep into, you know your journey and your work and everything you've accomplished so far, and you will literally smile at the end. You will literally see the expansion of yourself and the growth, and not just what you've been working, you're just not gonna get what you've been working for, but you're about to see what else you're gonna work for, and it's gonna be something that's gonna, you know, be the ultimate, you know of what you wanted.
How old were you?
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. and then I just have a few quicker follow up questions. So how old were you when you first interacted with this sculpture?
Participant: I was 28.
How do you perceive the quality of the work?
Interviewer: And then I think I kind of know the answer to this question. But how do you perceive the quality of this sculpture?
Participant: Like a rating, or just.
Interviewer: However, you want to characterize the quality.
Participant: It's, one it’s mixed media, and I think the fact that, you know any artist I can put together different mediums and materials together to really make a captivating and thought provoking piece of artwork, I think to me is like it's a 10 out of 10 and it's an installation piece, and I, I love installation artwork because it it gives you that experience versus just looking at a 2 dimensional piece of artwork. So quality wise, I would definitely, and the material I'm sure it wasn't a lot, you know, between bronze and concrete and lighting. So it really shows you that you don't have to get a lot of expensive things, you know, whatever, whatever to really have a, a resounding piece of artwork. So I will definitely say it's a, it's a high quality piece of artwork.
Conclusion
Interviewer: Yeah, that was great. Thank you so much for participating.
The participant chose to discuss their interaction with a sculpture entitled, “Expansion,” by Paige Bradley. When searching for another art piece online, the participant began to look through other pieces as well, where they connected strongly with this one and its themes of growth and expansion. This piece is one that has served as an inspiration for their own composition works. As they interacted with the piece, they felt a sense of calm at first, followed by a feeling of excitement and gratitude around growing in life. Due to the positive feelings and revelation they had of realizing they’re not alone, they mainly had high points in their interaction; however, a low point came from the curiosity of questioning what comes next in their life. They’re inspired by the message of taking a step back to breathe that is present in the sculpture through its depiction of a woman in a mindful, yoga pose.
Knowing the risks the artist took in the creative process, the participant learned about the reward that can come from taking such risks and trusting your choices. They believe that the artist intended to affect a small population, but they don’t think that there was an intention to affect the world; they describe the piece as being a “hidden gem.” Regarding their own understanding of the world, the interaction taught them about vulnerability and shared experiences with others. In terms of authenticity, they reflected on seeing themself depicted in the sculpture and discussed feeling connected to all versions of themself. With ultimate meaning, they discuss veering away from the American dream and allude to being guided by a higher power in terms of timing and circumstances, while maintaining some control over their life. They did have a perceived interaction with God, mentioning God’s acknowledgement of guiding them through life so far and suggesting what they need to do going forward.
Interview Transcript
Introduction
Interviewer: Okay, so we'd like you to focus on your interaction with the particular artwork that someone else created.
Participant: Okay.
Description
Interviewer: And I know that you've already chosen your artwork.
The artwork does not necessarily have to be the most important to you, but it should be meaningful and emotionally salient, and it helps if your memories are vivid. But you don't really need to remember everything about it. So what is the artwork that you selected?
Participant: The artwork that I selected is “Expansion” by Paige Bradley. It's a sculpture, in New York, I believe.
Interviewer: Great, Thank you. And then do you have I know you don't have the sculpture with you, but you have something that you could share potentially on screen.
Participant: Yeah, I just have a screenshot of it. So what, I just share my screen?
Interviewer: I think you're able to.
Participant: It says something about security preferences. Okay. Zoom will not be able to report the contents of their screen and troops. So I think I have so far I just done this right, I have a, it's on my private. I have to switch out something on my privacy wall, but I think it says this, and out the assistant.
Interviewer: Yeah, that's all right. Yeah, if it's any difficulty with sharing it now, you can always just send it
if you wanted to. Just send it to my email, then I can look at it, and then we'll all know what you're referencing.
Participant: Okay, just, okay. So my outlook is almost loading. It's like, yeah, I think it's just come through now so,
Interviewer: Perfect.
Why did you choose this one? (Specialness)
Interviewer: Okay, so why did, yeah, I got it. So why did you choose to talk about this one for the study?
Participant: So it was funny, because in the written interview there was another, I think that there was like a similar question about interacting with a artwork, and it was another sculpture called Break Through My Mold, or Breaking Through My Mold, or something like that that was in Philadelphia, and I wanted to see if there was like the sculpture that could give me. I had a really awakening experience when I saw it a couple of years ago, and I just wanted to see if there were, I was actually looking for references for a composition that I was working on, and I just wanted to see if there was another artwork that was similar, particularly a sculpture, and actually that, I went to the original sculpture website, and then I went to like the Google Images and saw that it was like a list of 20 different sculptures. And Paige, she was actually,if i'm not mistaken, like within that top 5. And I was just like oh, my God! Like expansion, the growing of you know, into something else, the becoming of the next you know version of who you are, the next step on your journey, and the, you know, when I just think about becoming, I kind of think of like an electrifying outlet inside of you. You're kind of just ripping off your old self and you know, walking into the light of your new self, and this sculpture, it actually, she has a lighting component into it. So when I read about it, she had the old, she had it as an old piece in her archive and then she broke it on the floor, and then she like casted it in bronze back together, and then she put like lighting inside of it, so when you see it, it lights up the pose of the figures in a very meditating mindfulness pose and I was just like, you know, this is exactly where I feel like, for like this stage of where I feel like I am in my life right now. So it really was just like on point, on time, and I was just like Wow, it's just, you know. It was just crazy how it was just like a sequence of different artworks that I had seen so really visually articulate and depict you know what I was going through in my life.
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. So now please tell me about the experience and process of interacting with this artwork by answering some questions.
Process of Creation
What led up to the interaction? What motivated you to explore this piece?
Interviewer: You talked about this all a little bit already. But what led up to the interaction? What motivated you to explore this piece?
Participant: So one of the composition works I was kind of working on was called “Noah’s Boat.” And it was about, you know, like just kind of being in a steady groove in life, and you know, looking for kind of like that big moment. You know, like that, like revelation, eye-opening moment, and I, you know, when I saw that the photo, or not the photo, when I saw that the sculpture was in New York, I think it was on a river. It was surrounded by water, and there was like a bridge above it, and it just kind of, you know, showed me like visually the steps in life like that 1, 2, 3 like where you are, how you're gonna get there, and where you want to be. And you know, when I, you know, just saw that and then I reference back to what I was, you know, kind of trying to do or trying to make it was just like okay this is definitely a visual reference that I can use to draw inspiration from to kind of help me creatively brainstorm through some of, you know, the thoughts that I currently have, for you know what I'm working on.
When and where did the experience happen? Who was involved besides you (if anyone)?
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. And then you also touched on this a little bit as well, but did you want to say anything more about when and where the experience happened, and if anyone else was involved besides you?
Participant: So yeah, it was just me. I was sitting in my room.
This was probably about I wanna say 3 weeks ago and you know I was just I was searching the net and I, you know, looked up the previous sculpture and start, I always do it because I've had that sculpture as a just an inspirational reference for a lot of years now and then, you know, I just started reading other art websites and art blogs, and, like I said I had went to look up an image about this particular scope, the other particular sculpture Then I click the link, and it had a list of different, you know, sculptures and this this current sculpture Expansion was like within the top 5, I believe, and I was just like
wow, like that pose, that meditation yoga pose, it was like a deep breath, because it was, it just was, it felt, really assuring because I've been kind of feeling like, you know, it's just me against the world lately, since the pandemic. It's just been really hard to just try to express myself and my feelings. They're all in my head. They're all there, but you know it just was like, you know, I don't need to say anything if I don't have the words like this visual alone was just enough for me to know that, Hey, if there's anything that I can do to communicate, I can just reference this, you know this piece, this artwork, and you know, just let it do the talking for itself, and then spend more time, really, just you know, working through whatever is on my mind that day, and just figuring out how to, you know, carry on if you will, so.
What were you thinking and feeling at different times throughout the process of interacting with the artwork?
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. And then could you talk a little bit about what you were thinking and feeling at different times throughout the process of interacting with this sculpture?
Participant: Yeah. So the first feeling was definitely like a calming, because it was just like an assurance of I'm exactly where I need to be. I'm exactly where I wanted to be. The second feeling was just the electricity in the sculpture made me have a sense of gratitude and just an excitement of you know this is just a part of life. This is just a part of growing, and that expansion piece is, you know, every time you grow you're always gonna, you know, have a newness, or renewedness about you, and then ,you know, the as a figure as I kind of. I started from like the left side of the well, probably it would be the right side of the sculpture, and I kind of went on a diagonal, you know, in terms of my perspective. I saw, you know, she had like the 2 buns, and I used to wear my hair like that in middle school and you know she had her head lifted up and I you remember, when I was a kid writing this poem or not a poem, writing this essay for a contest, and the last line was, "We walk into the classroom with our heads held high." So it was just like all these different references or things that I was experiencing over you know, my, you know, just journey in life just all kind of encapsulated into one with this particular sculpture, and I could literally see myself as that sculpture. So it was just like a moment of, not a moment, but definitely an experience of self-reflection.
Can you describe any high points, low points or challenges, or turning points along the way?
Interviewer: Thank you. And then can you describe any high points, low points or challenges, or turning points in your interaction with this sculpture?
Participant: I was, so, it was definitely I would say like a 99% high of just oh, my God! Revelation! Like you know you're You're not alone. You know it's not something where you have to feel like you're like an outcast or anything like that. But the 1% was like, okay, well, what's next? You know what's gonna happen or what's gonna be that widget inside your engine to really kind of propel you? What's gonna be that, you know, I mean, you just like, count. It's like your rocket. The countdown has begun, but what's gonna be that thing that's gonna just shoot you up into the stars? So because I didn't really, I didn't have that inside of me, I didn't have that understanding, or not understanding, but that answer in the sculpture was, I didn't really get that, you know, next piece of information from just my interaction with it like that light bulb moment. It was kind of just like, okay, so since I don't have it, and that's the most frustrating part of you know my life right now, then, I really just need to do what the sculpture is doing, and just close my eyes and take a deep breath, and I find myself doing that a lot when I just think a lot. And you know I'm always pacing my mind about, okay, what's going to be that, that you know that switch to really get everything where I want it to be and need it to be? And so it was still just like, hey, You know you're still,you're on your way like you're 95% there, you know you have all the tools, but you really just have to embrace these moments, because if you bypass them and you get what you want, then you won't really fully have a complete understanding of in a full circle moment of what of how and what it takes to get to where you are, and there's probably gonna have to be something that you have to pick back up and or fill in the gap or something, and you don't want to do that when you're where you want to be. You want to literally just keep going up that mountain. So that would probably be my high/low point when interacting with this artwork.
Let's talk a little bit about the impact of the artwork on you and your life.
What did you learn from the process of interacting with the artwork? Did you learn anything about yourself?
Interviewer: Great, Thank you. Let's talk a little bit about the impact of the artwork on you and your life. I know you've been talking about this kind of throughout, but what did you learn from the process of interacting with the artwork? Did you learn anything about yourself?
Participant: Yeah, you know it's funny, because when I was reading about how the sculpture was made, you know she broke it, and then she casted it in like a bronze. And you know she was scared when she did that creative process because she didn't know the outcome. So it really showed me about just taking risks and big leaps, and you know the high risk, high reward, kind of concept, or doing things that you know you're sure of or not second guessing yourself. And when you do those, when you are confident, you know, in who you are, your path and what you're going, and why you're doing something. You know you're kind of protecting yourself from a lot of the negativity and the doubt. And you know, when you bring everything together, you just, you, you are that light, you are that being, you know, and people will see it, people, those people who question it will be like oh, you know, like my bad, or you know they'll feel, you know, kind of down about how they treated you when you were, you know, kind of growing, and you know things like that, so it will be kind of like a, like a "I told you some moment" you know, for everybody, and including yourself.
Do you think that the artist intended the work to affect others or the world in any particular ways?
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. And then do you think that they, the sculptor, intended the work to affect others or the world in any particular ways?
Participant: So I would probably say 2 answers to that. I do feel like the sculptor intended to affect others, but I don't think the intention was to affect the world, and I mean that to say, this was like a, you know, a word of mouth kind of experience, or what's the word I'm looking for, illustration, or you know, articulation of their point. It was meant so that I can tell someone else in a very intimate and humbly way, and I feel like if it was to just, you know, be like the Statue of Liberty, like hey, here's, here it is world, and you know, here's the interpretation. You know peace, justice, freedom, equality for all, unity, I think it would have gone over some people's heads. So I think that by being there, because I've been to New York several times, and I've never ever ever seen this sculpture. So you know, and I love the water, so I'm like, okay, maybe there's something I was missing, and you know I was just like Wow! You know it was kind of like that hidden gem, and it, it's a brain and flock, and and other different publics, you know, to it when you're ready, like when you are ready to experience this artwork that’s when you, and you know the discreetness of it could have, you know, been one of the ways, or you know of one of the intentions for the artists, you know, to kind of have that sculpture at that location in this place, in this kind of environment, then to just, you know, highlight it to the world which you know, I do know other sculptures, you know have, you know, do, but yeah, I think this is kind of like a hidden gem.
Did your experience with the artwork affect your understanding of others or “the world?”
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. And then did your experience with the artwork affect your understanding of others or the world?
Participant: Yes, it did it. I would definitely say it brought me out of my shell a little bit, in that I I don't have, like too many answers to that, but it definitely gave me a sense that
at least, okay, I'll say to the world. Yes, because I can think in terms of whole, but when I'm thinking in terms of pieces and parts, I can't really think as clearly right now in terms of the sculpture. So to the world, yes, it I I'm able to look around and really see an evenness and balance of, you know, just life experiences and what's happening to other people as long as what's happened to me, it it like. Again, when I reference in the beginning of the interview. It really makes you feel humble, you know it really makes you feel so, and people been telling me that, you know, along this way, like "hey, It's not just happening to you." But when i'm thinking in terms of you know smaller parts, I understand, you know people's questioning, I get it, you know, but if you answer to me of those questions, you'll start to feel that separation of the pieces in you, and you have to figure out how to put it back together, because sometimes you just don't always want to expose your light, you know, you know, just like skin. You have a cut, you know, you're gonna have to cover that, you know. You can't just have it exposed open. So it just showed me that you know there is a, it's, there's, you know, it's okay to kind of open up, and it's okay to kind of share yourself, and you know just to be vulnerable with other people, but still understand that you know you don't have to compromise your light and compromise your comfort. I'll definitely say that you don't have to be uncomfortable to answer someone else's questions or to answer to anyone.
Interviewer: Okay, Great. Thank you. And I. I apologize. But do you mind if I take a 1 min pause, 1 second. Okay, I apologize for that. But, so now we can move on to the next prompt, which is a little bit longer.
When some people think about themselves, they see some parts of themselves as deeply true, real, or authentic.
If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about your true nature during the process of interacting with the artwork? Did you have any insights about your own authentic (or inauthentic) self?
Interviewer: So when some people think about themselves, they see some parts of themselves as deeply true, real, or authentic. If this idea resonates with you, Did you learn anything about your true nature during the process of interacting with this artwork? Did you have any insights about your own authentic or inauthentic self?
Participant: Good question. So I don't really have too much to say to that question as you can guess I'm definitely, you know, felt a mirroring connection, reflection of myself, and you know, interacting with the artwork. Partly which is why I chose it. What those authentic experiences, or just you know, as far as this work, well, okay, maybe I can do it backwards, and this may help me get to that. So I so i'll start like with her hair right? So I told you that I use I used to have before the pandemic like these have really long curly hair, and I cut it, and it showed me like I was really, I cut it mostly because I just got tired of the maintenance. It was just like too much, and I was like. I need something something more more simpler just because, you know, I have really long days, and you know, when I came home I remember, like everybody was shocked. They were like, oh, my God! You know they thought I was having a Brittany Spears moment or something, you know, not saying, you know, because, hey, we all have something that you know we're gonna be challenged by in life, but you know I felt like, oh, if I didn't have my hair like in a ponytail in a bun, or natural that there was something wrong with me, and I couldn't be grounded. I couldn't be peaceful, and I was just like, you know you are who you are, like, you know, as long as you feel confident, as long as you feel beautiful, then that's all that matters. So I don't feel different. I can. You know all I've been seeing since I'm home is, you know, pictures of my younger years and my, you know, old self, and i'm like I that's still me. I am still that person. There is no disconnect, in between me, so it is like, you know it's all right when I answer that question. Now you know. Why did you cut your hair? You know, whatever whatever you know. I just, I said, because that's what I wanted to do, you know, and I don't feel insecure about it, and it really shows me kind of other people's insecurities. You know, in terms of how they feel like they have to be, you know, groomed in a certain way, or I don't want to say groom, because everybody is groomed, but present themselves in a certain way, you know, to to meet others expectations. So inauthentic, authentic, and what else?
Interviewer: yeah, it was about your true self about your authentic self, or your inauthentic. So okay, yeah.
Participant: So, my true stuff, I it, it really was like again, like that, you know, go back to like English writing like is, or like, you know, like those similar, those similes that you know we were taught like or equal, or even, you know, it's just like I'm just seeing through myself. And you know I see, myself. I see just the openness of that sculpture, and you know, no matter where I'm at, the kind of day I had, or the mood I and I still know that that's a part of my experience. That's a part of me. So it doesn't give me any other idea of, you know what I am or what I am not, because I know, like, okay, you just need to get out this mood, or, you know. take a deep breath. Go for a walk whatever, and you'll see you haven't changed like nothing. Nothing bad, you know, is wrong or is happening. So yeah, I would definitely say it's just been, it's just been a check, it's been like a reference that I can use as a check and balance like. You know, check the negativity of you know how you think you are supposed to be in saying, look and what to do with that in your head, but then also balance it with today you did something different than than you did yesterday. It's a mile. You'll probably do something different. And what you want to do now is probably different than what you want to do 5 min ago or 5 min before. So it's just like a breathe. It's just like you know. Get back to yourself, you know. Kind of thing like ground yourself. So that's what I would. That's how I would answer that question.
Some people believe in ultimate meaning. This is defined as deep, underlying meaning that transcends subjective, personal meaning. It is about the nature of existence and identity, and it may include ideas about the significance of suffering, as well as spirituality.
If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about ultimate meaning during the process of interacting with the artwork?
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. And then, so some people believe in ultimate meaning. This is defined as deep, underlying meaning that transcends subjective personal meaning. It is about the nature of existence and identity and it may include ideas about the significance of suffering as well as spirituality. If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about ultimate meaning during the process of interacting with this sculpture?
Participant: Yeah, I, I learned that it can happen to you at any time, no matter what, good, obstacle, challenge, difficult. I wanna, I, so I graduated from college in 2018. I moved back home in the summer 2019, and I literally, in my opinion, had just the American, you know, checklist of what to do in life, you know, do great in school, play, you know, or engage in extra curricular activities, be a student leader, be a community role model, and you'll be golden. You'll have the American dream, white picket fence, and you know I thought I was on that path, but I was that, you know, there was my, you know, crescendo was still in the works, and you know it showed me that you, you're not, you can't really prepare yourself for any, you can't expect or not you can't expect, you definitely can expect. You can prepare, but you just don't know when, like these past couple of years I've just been like when but literally looking at the calendar. Is it gonna happen this day? The breakthrough happen this day, and this day, you don't know when. And you're gonna wear yourself down if you keep asking that question over and over and over again in your life, or in your head, excuse me, and it made me really say, okay, you know, not that my life isn't necessarily controlled by me, but I am definitely being guided by a higher being, higher power ,higher God, and because what I, it's not happening right now, you know or not right now. But you know before. So it's like. You know, I am literally not like in control of the destiny, but I'm in control of the destination. So I know I can get to this point, this point, that point, that point, this point, and it may not just be in ascend. It may be, you know, not a plateau, but just, you know, just, just going straight. You’re, you know, just horizontal, or whatever you know it's not just gonna be that, that rocket moment, kind of thing. So it has just been, you know, I feel like a opening kind of like in my in my in my spirit and my soul, you know it, it really feels like I'm opening up, you know, from the middle of myself versus me being able to just identify and see and, you know, go or me being led with my feet, or led with my hands, or led with my heart, or even my intuition, like, wherever this guidance is coming from, from like a outside, you know spiritual force is coming right from the middle of me, you know. So it's been really, you know interesting just to see that because, like I've never had that, you know, happen to me. So yeah, did I answer the question, or?
Some people believe or perceive a reality beyond the physical or material world. This may include religious beliefs/experiences (such as perceived interactions with God) but also may include mystical or transcendent experiences, or interaction with spirits.
Did you have any of these kinds of experiences during the interaction with the artwork?
Interviewer: Yeah, yeah, for sure, definitely, thank you. And this question kind of builds off of what you were talking about.
So some people believe or perceive a reality beyond the physical or material world. This may include religious beliefs and experiences, such as perceived interactions with God, but also may include mystical or transcendent experiences or interaction with spirits. Did you have any of these kinds of experiences during your interaction with this sculpture?
Participant: Yeah. I fully felt in my heart, you know that God was telling me something you know, God or in, and just was just like, okay, I wanted you to do it first, and then after I'm gonna, you know. So, you know, show you this is what you've been doing. This is where you've been. This is where I've been kind of guiding you and,and then I, you know, kind of I went on a walk a couple of days ago, and I just, you know, scanned around, and you know I just kind of felt that presence, you know in me and you know I wouldn't say crying, but just a little watery a little teary eyed, because it's like, you know. I'm just it's just, it was kind of like, hey, be disciplined, continue to be disciplined, and, you know, continue to, you know, keep a straight mind, don't have, you know, don't let negatively seep into, you know your journey and your work and everything you've accomplished so far, and you will literally smile at the end. You will literally see the expansion of yourself and the growth, and not just what you've been working, you're just not gonna get what you've been working for, but you're about to see what else you're gonna work for, and it's gonna be something that's gonna, you know, be the ultimate, you know of what you wanted.
How old were you?
Interviewer: Great. Thank you. and then I just have a few quicker follow up questions. So how old were you when you first interacted with this sculpture?
Participant: I was 28.
How do you perceive the quality of the work?
Interviewer: And then I think I kind of know the answer to this question. But how do you perceive the quality of this sculpture?
Participant: Like a rating, or just.
Interviewer: However, you want to characterize the quality.
Participant: It's, one it’s mixed media, and I think the fact that, you know any artist I can put together different mediums and materials together to really make a captivating and thought provoking piece of artwork, I think to me is like it's a 10 out of 10 and it's an installation piece, and I, I love installation artwork because it it gives you that experience versus just looking at a 2 dimensional piece of artwork. So quality wise, I would definitely, and the material I'm sure it wasn't a lot, you know, between bronze and concrete and lighting. So it really shows you that you don't have to get a lot of expensive things, you know, whatever, whatever to really have a, a resounding piece of artwork. So I will definitely say it's a, it's a high quality piece of artwork.
Conclusion
Interviewer: Yeah, that was great. Thank you so much for participating.
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