Monica Vidal

Through art I share the pivotal moments of my life using a means that transcends narrative and creates a physical experience for the viewer. I use the iconography of the body, including images of myself, and mediums that I feel a connection to, such as fabric. My recent 11 x 22 x 12 foot sculpture Tumor Hive was based on a photograph of a large tumor that I had removed in 2007. I used scale to represent the size of the trauma that the tumor brought into my life and I made it out of cloth because it is charged with intimate associations, such as clothing and quilts.

My work always begins with drawings and paintings on paper. I vary the mediums of graphite, ink, gouache, crayon and acrylic to create assorted surfaces, each with a specific purpose of representation. I make dozens of sketches, playing with texture, color and perspective. For the sculptures I move on to building series of models, using paper, wire, fabric and wood. When I started on the final incarnation of Tumor Hive I felt sure of how it would look but there were still lots of challenges and surprises. I was determining where specific shades of pink would go atop an eight foot ladder surrounded by a fiberglass rod framework. There’s inventiveness in each step informed by the diversity of materials and processes.

I depict myself or a potential construct and sometimes we occupy the space together, such as In Front of a Tent or In Front of a Hive. The sculptures are composed of organic lines and shapes, which reference the body or cells. I also reference tents in the forms, inspired by my notion of portable dwellings as a simple architectural extension of the body. When I draw myself I use garment and hairstyle to alternate my identity with one that feels more fitting. In several drawings I wear a garment based on an Aztec sculpture of Xipe Totec. This was to express the complicated state of how I felt after two years of illness and recovery. Xipe Totec is the god of spring but in this role he wears the skin of a human sacrifice; change comes with an edge.

I made the drawings into a costume of felt that I wore in a show with Tumor Hive. The show was called Blow Up Heart, which intones the words “Blow Apart” when said aloud. These phrases, together, express the subject of the show. I fell apart and I came together and examined the nature of wholeness and self. Art gives me the chance to express the dual nature of my experiences. All my work, including the smallest sketch, is composed of layered ideas. Tumor Hive captures a dark moment, but I made it to be beautiful and for the viewer to enjoy and be engaged by. Currently, I’m developing pieces which will engage the viewer further. I’m building models for works which the audience will be able to enter, partially or completely. The costumes, inversely, are using materials of an even more personal nature and gaining a physically active role in the work.