Ariadne's Thread: by Valerie Dillon

Valerie Dillon: Ariadne’s Thread
November 30 – December 23
The Project Space at Creative York

Ariadne’s Thread
An installation in The Project Space at Creative York

From the artist:
The legend of Ariadne and her use of a red thread to help Theseus through the labyrinth to eventually kill the Minotaur has become a metaphor turned problem solving algorithm for mazes and puzzles.

With Ariadne’s thread, all possible routes are considered to find the right choice and even when an answer is found, the search continues to the exhaustion of all possible options. It is a safe but time consuming method of questioning, and illustrates the thought processes I used within this work. I observe, explore, print, crochet, and assemble new and old ideas and materials to help understand what I can and cannot change while moving forward. The grids, lines, light and movement become a way to address my perception of time while being in a revolving cycle of questions. From taking apart and putting back together familiar structures and patterns of thinking, I create a comfortable but exciting new path for discovery.

The limited color palette in the work symbolizes the change in the color of my hair through the passage of time. Through bringing domestic structural grid and craft materials to the foreground, I am highlighting the woman who fades to the background as she ages. Seen together, these pieces represent a personal midlife exploration of the liminal stage of the Jungian process of individuation; a vulnerable, spiritual and symbolic journey of discovering the core self. Through addressing my own insecurities, I create a safe place of inquiry and contemplation where individuals who have or will encounter similar existential turning points in their lives will relate and find a place of connection and comfort within the space

Creative York is located at 10 N Beaver St, York, PA.
Gallery Hours: Tues, Thurs, Sat 10-2, and First Fridays 5-9
info@creativeyork.org – www.creativeyork.org