Artist’s statement by Roberta De Caro
Photo credits: Martina O’Shea
The link between materials, processes and meaning is at the heart of my research. In my practice, I explore materials and ideas through a variety of art processes that often involve glassmaking.
A medium of endless possibilities, glass is a constant in my work, often disguised as everyday materials: wax, stone, soap or even white chocolate! For me, glassmaking is a means to reflect upon the intricate web of interconnected histories that relate to the specific material I am working with, to its past, and to what it represents in contemporary life both on a personal and universal level.
I am fascinated by the alchemy of transferring thoughts and psychological states onto materials through making, transforming the art object into the embodiment of inner states, lived experiences and ideas, hence creating new meaning. Presented in multi-media installations, the artwork created acts as physical metaphors, providing insights into the web of deeper associations that materials unconsciously elicit, thus encouraging questions about the way we interpret reality.
Inspired by Roland Barthes’ theory on myths, my work aims at unearthing and undoing preconceived ideas about reality through observing the nexus between materiality and meaning from a feminist perspective.
Artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Mona Hatoum, Kathy Wilkes and Doris Salcedo are a great influence in my practice, that often deals with socio-political themes as well as with the ideas of repair and interconnectedness.
By investigating the material’s current and past significance, and by uncovering hidden systems of interrelated histories, my work highlights common threads between people from different places and historical times, as a reflection on the human condition.
