Lydia Gooch - 2023
The Butterfly Effect
Artist's Statement
This project is titled “The Butterfly Effect.” The Butterfly effect is the phenomenon
whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects
elsewhere. This course has been about how each of us have an effect on our
surroundings and that every choice we make matters if all of us are making it together. I feel that the definition of the Butterfly Effect matches this perfectly, even if it is only an idea rather than a proven fact. The composition of this piece was crucial to the mood and meaning I wanted to put across, as well as the material used. The marble bust drawn in charcoal shows what we have come from, where we were before, and it is pictured cracked and weathered with a city breaking through showing where we are now and what we have done to the society we once were. The whole thing is balanced with an array of butterflies. The whole thing seems smeared and drippy, giving a mood of regret and sadness. This course has taught me so much about what we have done to the environment and everyone should have the opportunity to realize that for themselves. This work depicts how society and the earth it is built upon has crumbled, and each of us hold the responsibility on our heads because of it.
"The Butterfly Effect"
