A L I C I A P I L L E R
S e m b l a n z a
R E S P I R O , L U E G O E X I S T O
“ Mimicking forms of cellular biology as a method to locate the root of human histories ; my mixed media practice is as much about materiality as it is about content . Capturing the energy surrounding physical matter and / or a particular situation is key ; presently questioning the current state of our times . Examining traumatic histories , I have begun to use my own body ( and others ) to activate a sculptural work . I document these moments with digital photography and video , later utilizing the photos as objects within a sculptural piece .
Working on a macro / micro level , I breathe life into materials removed from their ‘ natural ’ environment . Through manipulation of unconventional and marginalized materials like latex balloons ( stemming from my background as a clown ); I create structures on a cellular level . Each component touched : wrapped in vinyl , leather , etc . All encased objects , becoming membranes ; each membrane pieced together to create a larger ‘ organism ’. These ‘ organisms ’ are often thoughts of the past manifested in the physical world , a moment in time usually encapsulated by the modern day material , resin . These enveloping sculptures and installations expand out , to actualize singular systems that feel equally familiar and foreign . The construction of each work becoming a biological unfolding of time that begins to examine the energy around wounds left by historical traumas .”
61