Eloise Vodicka
About
‘Wandering (dementia)’ explores three aspects of dementia; memory loss, speech impediments and confusion. The work was influenced by watching the rapid changes in behaviour of elderly loved ones as they progress through the stages of dementia, a disease so profound that an individual not only mixes up words and people but can even forget where they live. It is common for a person living with dementia to wander or become lost or confused about their location, which is explored here through a series of photographs of Venetian doorbells. Venice in itself is a maze, filled with rich history but confusing and decaying in places, becoming a metaphor for the mind of the demented. The act of waiting after a door bell is rung also parallels the patience required when talking to someone suffering from dementia which my family and I have had to learn. The photographs are intertwined with jumbled text of the sentence ‘this is not your house’ where ‘house’ is sometimes replaced with ‘mouse’ or ‘hose’ or ‘shoes’, reminiscent of the way they mix up letters and words, and the determination but often helplessness that the listener will feel when trying to figure out what they are meaning to say. Although this artwork explores a cruel deterioration of the mind, it reminds us of the biological clock, and to simply be there with our loved ones as they near their end.
Bio
Eloise’s photographic and text based work reflects what is both universal and deeply personal, looking into the past and the future and the amalgamation of the two, to explore one’s innermost thoughts. Her works tend to focus on concepts surrounding memories, travel and aesthetics of the mundane, but most importantly, Eloise always creates work based on what is most impacting her life at that time, and highlighting how these experiences are universally relatable.