"As a regenerative practice of self-discovery, Elie processed nine journals from her past, the first from 1972 and age 10 and the most recent from 2020. The process involved identifying excerpts from each entry and recording them read by an actor the same age as Elie was when she wrote the journal; the resulting audio component is presented here. Some of these excerpts are handwritten on the gallery windows. Also on view are a series of ceramic vessels that embody her written recollections in locally-sourced wild clay; twelve vessels for each of the nine journals, audio recordings, and creative writing; the resulting work is an immersive art installation and a deeply personal, multisensory archive. Each journal is accompanied by a materials list that breaks with the art world to summarize both the process and content of each journal. Imbued with honesty, patience and radical self acceptance, the installation conveys one person’s grappling with identity and suggests the elements — mundane, distinctive, personal and universal — that make up a human life."
                                                                                                                                                                                                           Erin Elder, curator
                                                                                                                                                                  University of New Mexico MFA Exhibition
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         May 2024

Installation Audio Component:

PLAY