Warring with Ambiguity

A Solo Exhibition of Works by Tracy Welling

My work investigates personal narratives and social constructs through material and linguistic connotations. Everyday experiences and recollections influence each piece. I am interested in how traditionally established ideals affect woman and influence their daily lives and mental health. These topics are important because they are universal and anchored in our humanity. Humans are tethered to their reality but our reality has been comprised of historical lies and communal misinformation. Wading through this information, I use my art to create a visual dialogue that discusses subjects that may not otherwise be articulated. Mythology is an influential tool in how it affects what we tell ourselves when both cultural and personal expectations are disappointed. The stories that are woven into our subconscious are probed to pull at the threads of connection and meaning. This creates a tension between manufactured ideals and reality.  

Material transformation is a way for me to visually provoke viewers into questioning what is really going on. Working in this manner is an exploration of irony and the quirks of human conjecture. I would like to call attention to the connection between material, body and circumstances. It is symbolic of human struggle and resilience. The provoked questions can lead to further examination of what we value and why we stay silent with certain subjects. The use of unexpected materials coupled with traditional metalsmithing, drawing and textile techniques evolves the inherent understanding of the object. This evolution turns the work into something to contemplate beyond just its initial beauty and function. Even though esoteric, these pieces embrace and expand the inherent capabilities of an object to turn it into something unexpected. 

Tracy L. Welling

Tracy Welling is an interdisciplinary artist living and working in the St. Louis Metro area. She received her BFA in 2002 from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a focus in Metalsmithing and Drawing. Her art explores cultural constructs in order to question the stories we tell ourselves when personal and societal expectations go unmet. Myth and material create a visual dialogue in the work that discuss subjects that may not otherwise be articulated. Though ambiguous, the viewer is invited to participate and interpret according to their experience.

Currently, Tracy is teaching three dimensional design and studying for her MFA at SIUE. She has shown internationally and nationally in the exhibitions Craft Nouveau at the Blue Line Art Center in Roseville California, in A Stitch to Wear at the Allegany Arts Center in Allegany Maryland and in Materials Soft and Hard at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center in Denton Texas. Tracy was also awarded the Best in Fine Craft Award at the Edwardsville Art Center’s Art Fair in Edwardsville, IL and Wagner Association of Metalsmiths Scholarship Award in 2019.

tracywellingfineart.com

@tlwelling