statement

Magic and storytelling are the foundation of my practice. Using these two tools, I work to answer the following questions: How can we create purpose in a post-theistic world devoid of any inherent meaning? What can we as people, individually and collectively, do to maintain health (spiritual, mental, physical, and social) in a society that does not prioritize it? What role does spirituality play in these endeavors and what is its place in a modern, atheistic worldview? I answer these questions through a lens that is distinctly queer, lesbian, and feminine.

Magic is the tools and practices used in material reality to affect internal and metaphysical change, understanding, and reflection. Magic is meaning-making, for it assigns significance to various actions, objects, words, and symbols, as well as the interactions between all of them. In this sense, storytelling is a form of magic, it is an ancient craft for communicating ideas and prompting profound understanding and reflection– a story is, in essence, a symbol. I utilize these two powerful forces– magic and storytelling– to create something that can communicate my ideals around life and how one should live it stronger than words ever could. I include cryptograms and symbols of my own creation to imbue a piece with meaning. Each symbol is sacred to me, communicating a concept or idea that I have found no word in the English language to fully capture.

I am focused on objects and tools that the audience may interact with. I activate the senses and imagination through removing the barrier between art and viewer. I am dedicated to craftsmanship as a part of my practice. My preferred mediums– metal and wood– are both ancient materials and I treat them with the respect and reverence that they deserve. Through these mediums and objects I tell a story about human experience, the search for meaning, and the ways we can cope in this absurd human experience.

contact

dellajbaldwin@gmail.com

Della June Baldwin

work

process

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