“It is in playing and only in playing that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.” – Donald Winnicott

Jump, Twist, or Dive! is a body of work that is rooted in a personal journey of self-discovery and healing. Through an exploration of how one experiences childhood, the artists have been able to reflect on their own experiences and reconcile with their past. With this new work, they ask the question “What would I say to my younger self?”

This question has allowed Evan and Stacey to look at their childhood through the lens of an adult and explore the experiences and environments that shaped them. By looking back, they have been able to get a better understanding of who they are and how they navigate the world.

Jump, Twist, or Dive! transforms the gallery into a play area, complete with sculptures that form a playground-like space. The representation of these unusable playground objects expresses the uncanny quality of memories and how those memories are both viscerally real and distinct to each person. Three of the sculptures resemble objects used for play, while the bench is meant for you as the viewer to sit and reflect on your own experiences as a child.

Evan and Stacey have been working as an artistic collaboration since 2017, and through a collaborative process they combine their different backgrounds of art and science. Their process begins by investigating themes such as their childhood, their relationship with sacred spaces, or the uncanny nature of memories. They then distill these ideas into work that, while based in personal experience, leaves an open door for the viewer to bring their own connections to it. Their intention is not to push a specific message but rather to create a space for the viewer’s experiences to be validated, whatever those may be.

• Opening Night Reception, Friday, March 8 from 6-9 p.m.

• Artist talk with Evan and Stacey on Thursday, April 23, 2024, 6:30pm in the gallery.