Daniel Maxwell
Onward
We all participate in grief. My research has allowed me to frame my interests through studies in folklore, mythology, the philosophy of the sublime, and spirituality. Notably, I am interested in the research of Dr. Pauline Boss, a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress. In particular, I am interested in her concept of “ambiguous loss”, when loss is sudden, often inexplicable, and closure becomes difficult. The poignant discovery from her research is that trauma is transmitted generationally, whereas grief prevails.
My work is produced through processing the ceaseless undercurrents of grief into visual forms that mimic clouds and ash. The forms emerge while I apply additive and subtractive mark making drawing techniques to paper. My drawings are linked to my imagination and are anchored in my research of the supernatural. Drawing is a crucial part of my grieving process. It serves as a safe place for me to mourn. The marks bring to substance an ambiguous space. The drawing acts as a mental and visual record, perhaps fragments of paranormal worlds.
