Chelsea Steele

Part of growing up is coming to terms with mortality. I am intrigued by the liminal state precursing death from a non-religious perspective and what it could look like as opposed to typically negative historical depictions of death. I want to capture a liminal state, the threshold of consciousness or the edge of life, drawing from the surreal hypnagogic state of sleep and symbols of luck and superstition. The vagueness and conflicting symbols can be interpreted differently or not at all, paralleling futile efforts to uncover meaning from happenings in everyday life. Transparent insect wings could symbolise the intangible veil between life and death, the short lifecycle of butterflies and moths a bad omen, or just as easily symbolise luck and transformation. One crow may signify bad luck but two could indicate good fortune. Inspired by the Surrealists' fascination with and utilisation of sleep, I used imagery from my own hypnagogic dreams to generate subject matter. I painted the people who I will grieve or who will grieve me.