The Journey of Life

Aimee Hofmann
The Journey of Life, 2022
Acrylic and gold foil on canvas, 10' x 10'

This outdoor mural is part of the exhibition RAW: Reassessment and Wonder (March 18 - May 7, 2022).

Listen to the Aimee Hofmann:

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Just like the journey of life, the swirls are a symbol of life’s continuity. There are ups, downs, twists and turns. In the end, everything comes full circle. After the injury from trauma, there must be acceptance and then healing may begin. Our scars, as a result, become a reminder of strength and resilience. The freely poured, splattered paints are a reflection of letting go and acceptance of everything that happens organically. There may be adversities, brokenness and darkness but we learn to embrace the beauty of imperfections that interrupt the path of the swirls—also known as life’s journey.

A combination of both intuitive and conscious decisions were made regarding the composition and color palette. There is a certain amount of balance and symmetry, albeit ‘imperfect’ and not too structured. The color palette stemmed from emotions but were also selected based on symbolism. Red/orange hues represent the fierce passion to live, to take up space and to be heard. Purple is the spirituality that connects us with the higher self. Light blue reflects peace in the midst of chaos and trauma. The gold foil and fluorescent accents show that where there is darkness, there is also light, joy, and hope.

A wide variety of paint techniques and unconventional tools were used, i.e., a house paint brush, make-shift extra long handled brushes and the wheel of a wheelchair. It is important that the final piece would be a natural result of the creator’s physical condition. The track marks and smeared paints were inevitable from constant run-overs by my wheelchair. These tracks enforce the idea of forward movement throughout the cycle of life which is constant, but never straight. Large, loose circular brushstrokes are the result of extra long handled brushes (necessary for an artist with a physical disability).

This piece continues to challenge the co-existence and juxtaposition of perfectionism vs. imperfection, trauma/darkness vs. hope/light, intentional vs. incidental and control vs. release.

Artist's website: https://aimeehofmannfineart.com/