Pamela Thompson Artist Statement | Pamela Thompson - Fashion Designer

Pamela Thompson Artist's Statement

Trying to define the type of art I create has always been a bit tricky for me. As a child I was always fascinated by a "Diorama" project in school, where you were supposed to take a shoe box and create your own tiny 3-dimensional snapshot of a scene from life.

Since I have always been a visual person, I love the idea that a diorama or narrative "snapshot" has the visual ability to tell a story, sometimes as profoundly as words. It allows the viewer the rare opportunity to peek inside another person's world. I feel this unique fusion of art, life and fantasy is what drives my work.

Each piece is a 3-D slice of the life of the person featured in the work. Just as with a photograph, my pieces only allow you to view the subjects and their environment, in that one single moment.

It is for you to decide what they are thinking, what their history is, where they will be tomorrow, what their lives will become etc. There is always a strong dichotomy in each piece that helps to reinforce the 3 dimensional aspect of it. However, I hope that, regardless of my intentions for the piece, that each viewer interprets the subject's story in his/her own way.

When I start a box, I first I select a photograph of a subject that I feel a connection to. The narrative is then centered around that image. Each photo is scanned, altered and sometimes re colored to support the narrative. The pieces are cut out and attached to foam core in order to add dimension, and are collaged into the scene.

When the photographic pieces are in place, I add real life objects. For example, if the narrative has a photograph of a couch and a wall, I may add 3-dimensional fur pillows sitting on the couch or actual tiny framed photographs on the wall. I feel this adds to the realism of the piece while further enhancing the story.

The final element of the artistic process for me is to write a short bit of text that helps intensify the story exhibited within the box. The text is not a direct explanation of what is happening inside the box, but rather helps push the viewer further into the subject's world and forces the viewer to engage the artwork directly.

As a creative person, I have had the opportunity to see that there are endless ways to express oneself. I have always been intrigued with life and how others choose to live theirs. Whether you are an actress, a writer, or even a fashion designer, your profession requires you to step into the shoes of others and view their lives.

I feel people, who may not have that ability, can be enabled to do so by viewing my work. Through the narrative "snapshot" medium, I have developed, the viewer can be immersed in another's life without any negative consequences.

Pamela Thompson