EMERGING ARTIST SERIES

SEPTEMBER 2019

Baylis Quimby
“See-Through”

September 6th - September 27th, 2019

Artist Statement:

"See-Through" is a body of work that tells a personal story about living with major depressive disorder. It conveys the cycle of depression that I experience when I try to ignore my depression and negative emotions. The title “See- through” is both literal and metaphorical. In each piece, the viewer will have to look through something to see something else. The subject of the pieces end up looking fragmented and broken, with contrasting content filling the gaps. This negative space contains symbolism to further evoke the emotion in each piece. Metaphorically, I express the idea of feeling "see through", through the inability to contain repressed emotions. Even when you attempt to “put on a brave face,” during a depressive episode, you are ultimately exposed because of the way human emotion has a tendency to build up and escape. As you view the collection chronologically, the subjects become more emotionally expressive, until there’s an explosion- a breaking point, and then the aftermath. This collection demonstrates the detrimental cycle of repressing feelings that mental illness only magnifies. In the end, however, being “see-through” is what actually saves us. In addition to allowing our loved ones to see that we are struggling, these breakdowns and spillages of emotion allow us to move forward.

Artist Bio:

Baylis is a self-taught collage artist who was born in Roanoke, Virginia. She earned her BA in Cultural Anthropology from North Carolina State University. This interest in humanity and culture informs and inspires much of her work. She has sold and displayed work locally in both Virginia and North Carolina. She currently lives in Vicksburg, Mississippi with her husband, Myles, and their dog, Ripley.