2021 Scholarship Awardee

Jacob Gibson

Originally from Louisiana, I am currently living in Denton, Texas where I'm a second-year graduate student in the process of completing my MFA with a focus in printmaking. In 2020 I received a BFA with a concentration in printmaking from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. My work is made through traditional print media, specifically lithography and silkscreen, though the work also includes elements of paper weaving and sculpture as well as ceramics. Printmaking while personally intuitive, also allows for a conceptual link to the subject matter of the work due to the process of making a print requiring care, time, and attention which directly ties into my personal shortcomings apparent within the work conceptually. My work uses antique objects as an analogy for familial dynamics and the hand-me-down nature of toxic and abusive behaviors. Within the work, the aged objects inherited from members of my family inhabit spaces devoid of human presence. The abjection of these objects serves as a direct parallel to my experiences in a household absent of love. Feelings of shame and inadequacy comprise the underlying emotions within the work and serve to highlight the flawed foundation of a turbulent childhood. Images of physical boundaries and flooring allude to the boundaries constructed to protect myself from being hurt. However, the protective barriers are inadequate, leaving the items or spaces vulnerable and serving as a metaphor for the need to be distant despite the desperate yearning to feel cared for. Physically weaving multiple images together or mimicking woven patterns attempts to visually illustrate the trouble associated with deciphering the inherited negative attributes that I may continue to perpetuate, despite attempts to break the cycle of abuse. Reflecting on aspects of myself which I deem as harmful calls into question the deep-rooted nature of abuse and further amplifies negative personal opinions about myself. Through observation and creation of the woven images, it is possible to rationalize and understand the confusion centered around the traumatic experiences which the images are based upon, with the overall purpose of the work being an attempt to cope and feel cared for.

https://www.jacobtaylorgibson.com