Artists Maggie Freed’s and Yee Li’s work titled “Introspection” was displayed in the art galleries this week. On the Artist 
Statement posted on one of the adjourning walls, the only text available to remotely describe the piece was the definition of the word introspection and a quote from Plato, and quite honestly, that seems to be the only thing necessary to explain the different aspects of their work.
The text on the artist statement defined introspection as the examination of one’s own mental and emotional state. Below the definition, Plato’s quote enhanced and highlighted the subject of
the work, adding to its great value; the quote asked, “…why should we not calmly and patiently review our own thoughts, and thoroughly examine and see what these appearances in us really are?” I had originally chosen their work because the colors and the lines and shapes were completely entrancing. Each individual piece seemed to be like a different puzzle or misshaped optical illusion; it did not make complete logical sense, yet it was still understandable.
After reading the small portion of text on the statement, though, it began to make a little more sense. The process of examining one’s mental and emotional state would not be linear or clean and easy, but rather like the paintings it would be complicated, intricate, and, in a way, completely colorful; each line and shape revealing something else entirely. For some reason, the pieces reminded me of the concept of Gestalt psychology with the idea of the whole or sum and the different parts. Though I’m not entirely sure if it was supposed to allude to that at all, I enjoyed looking at their beautiful artwork and techniques and attempting to connect it with their brief statement.
Art110 Blog 