Contradictions in a Mad World

   In grad school I had so many art concepts and real-life issues racing through my brain that I was unable to lock down completely what I was even talking about in my work. The one thing I knew for sure was that everything in my world was based on contradictions. Battles being fought from within as well as from without. I also knew that I had an innate desire to create beauty as there was so much ugliness occurring at that time as well. That was enough then. I knew there was more, but I was unable to get a firm grasp on it.
   Now, as I unfold my next chapter, I find it is only the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more that I want to get across in my work. I keep contemplating words like talisman, totem, fetish, charms, iconography, symbolism, heirlooms, memories, magic, mystery, ethereal, beauty, power. Over the years these are words that have been thrown around with whatever I was working on at the time, but I did not really see the significance. I was just making stuff. Just stuff. Now as I try to reign things in and focus on a series that has been manifesting for some time, I see these "words" as an important consideration. 
   In art and art making, I believe every aspect of the maker comes through, even things buried so deep as to be forgotten. However, the subconscious mind never forgets. Things have a way of coming out regardless of intent. We are then left to decipher the mysteries that escape. We must then attempt to communicate these ideas in such a way as to make them understood. It can be a vicious cycle of self-evaluation. So why are these words or concepts important to me and why do they continually surface in my work? These are questions I am setting out to answer as I continue my journey.