EXHIBITION

GROUND STATE(S)

For this series, I draw from my experience with chemistry as well as dance in the context of the world pandemic as well as other circumstances that are forcing us to pause. I thought about how many of us are forced to stay at home and/or we find ourselves in a pause state of forced reflection; a moment where we find ourselves moving around significantly less and deliberating about things a little more. For our bodies, it's as if we are in a forced resting state. For our minds and souls, it's become a time for learning and being. Can we use this moment in history for active rest in order to rejuvenate, restore, and stabilize our physicality? I reflected on these resting states and how similar our bodies are in general to subatomic particles and atoms. For example, electrons can occupy either a ground state or an excited state. In chemistry, when we talk about the ground state electron configuration, we're talking about the electron configuration of an atom at the lowest energy level possible. In the universe, the natural state of a system is to use the lowest energy possible, so for an atom's electrons at the ground state, the electron arrangement will be at the lowest energy state that is possible for that atom. Maybe we need to recognize the value of the ground state as a way to keep our bodies, our communities, and our universe stable, healthy, and prepared for battle. These paintings represent my body's different ground states or resting postures that I found gave me a sense of peace, comfort, and restoration during this pandemic.