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I’M NOT HERE

Letterpress print series by Margaret Chiarelli

The images in this series are based on a poem I wrote, which is essentially a love poem but also comes from a place of disorientation. In an anxious state one may not recognize where they are or who they are with. Space becomes two-dimensional and surroundings transform from familiar objects to abstract shapes. In spite of this uncertain state of being, love is a beacon of certainty.

I have ambivalent ideas about what these images represent. On one hand I see the imagery referring to a state of disassociation where occupying your body or mind are two distinct and mutually exclusive states of being. The body and mind (two parts of a whole) are treated as similar shapes, roughly mirroring each other. They interact in the space, but they remain discrete objects. The surrounding empty space suggests an anxious state.

In keeping with this theme of duality I also like to think of these images as having a more hopeful significance. The shapes (perhaps two people) exist harmoniously together in an open and quiet, bright space. Although there’s a strong theme of opposing realities in this series, I believe that the anxiety and hopefulness in the images exist in conjunction and that one doesn’t have to choose to only see one or the other.

Margaret Chiarelli is an artist from Boston, MA. She studied fine art at Smith College, focusing mainly on printmaking. After her formal training, Margaret started concentrating on abstract imagery. Often in her work, when visual themes develop, she finds an underlying concept that was perhaps guiding the work all along. Margaret currently is studying graphic design at MassArt and is a printmaker at Smudge Ink in Charlestown, a company specializing in letterpress stationery and custom work. Look for Margaret’s work and upcoming events at www.margaretchiarelli.com