Lydia Fortenberry

That Tracks

Artist Statement

This large-scale sequential work recasts reality to communicate distortions of a recollection. The narrative follows a prosaic formative moment in my childhood that I only remember a certain amount of. I am interested in exploring the foreboding sense of the world that comes with childhood and how that can be visually translated.

Made with Noir-informed pen and ink on canvas and washed repeatedly to dilute the image’s clarity, each new layer of mark making provides more specificity. The way I add information and wash it away on the canvas is a process that works in tandem with how I am remembering pieces of the narrative, pursuing the elusivity of memory.

My intent is for the sense of liminality within the space of the story to be immersing in a way that invites the viewer to feel familiar with the piece, as if it were one of their own memories.