Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Department
Art
First Advisor
Vaughn Randall
Abstract
Artist Statement:
Purgatory is my exhibition of paintings and sculptures investigating the complex relationships between the self, the psyche, and the process of healing. Living with long-term and recurring mental health issues can breed despondency toward treatment when trial and error lead nowhere. Enduring instability seems no more difficult than endlessly trying to hold onto stability. I represent the stagnancy of this limbo between healing and devolving by painting in limited color. I create contrast through juxtaposing textures such as soft and sharp, and leaning into the differing intensities of phthalo green and tints mimicking raw canvas. Using self-portraiture in this collection, I document the cynical notions that fester from repeated progression and regression.
I am drawn towards the idea of self-fulfilled destinies, in which strong beliefs subconsciously change your behavior to satisfy that belief. Using the bed and the coffin as combined symbols, I transform comfort into doom, evoking the feelings of constant tension and expecting the worst. Often in states of inaction or contemplation, the figures in my work are given visual authority as a subject matter, reflecting how our own premonitions can unknowingly affect our futures.
Purgatory is my exhibition of paintings and sculptures investigating the complex relationships between the self, the psyche, and the process of healing. Living with long-term and recurring mental health issues can breed despondency toward treatment when trial and error lead nowhere. Enduring instability seems no more difficult than endlessly trying to hold onto stability. I represent the stagnancy of this limbo between healing and devolving by painting in limited color. I create contrast through juxtaposing textures such as soft and sharp, and leaning into the differing intensities of phthalo green and tints mimicking raw canvas. Using self-portraiture in this collection, I document the cynical notions that fester from repeated progression and regression.
I am drawn towards the idea of self-fulfilled destinies, in which strong beliefs subconsciously change your behavior to satisfy that belief. Using the bed and the coffin as combined symbols, I transform comfort into doom, evoking the feelings of constant tension and expecting the worst. Often in states of inaction or contemplation, the figures in my work are given visual authority as a subject matter, reflecting how our own premonitions can unknowingly affect our futures.
Recommended Citation
Mccormick, Kat, "Purgatory" (2026). Bachelor of Fine Arts Theses. 2.
https://digitalcommons.cortland.edu/bfatheses/2