Cory Willingham van der Does: May 10, 2010: Tornado Outbreak...

F5: Painting the Psychological Impact of Extreme Weather

For my thesis (F5: Painting the Psychological Impact of Extreme Weather) I employ the depiction of extreme weather events such as tornados, hurricanes, and dust storms in a narrative format to move the viewer to the unsettling space that lies between basic instinct and self-awareness. Why and how do we react to such severe and life-threatening storms? These paintings work to define and contain these psychological states within a single moment and shed light on the complexity of human motives and the way we relate to the world around us.

Employing painting techniques such as abstraction, collage, and experimental surface treatments, I explore new possibilities within the narrative tradition. I combine images from sources such as meteorological surveys, psychology textbooks, scientific journals and websites, and personal photographs to create highly textured paintings deeply layered with meaning. By exploiting the unique properties of oils, acrylics, and charcoals, and by embedding within the paint natural materials such as pine needles, rocks, twigs, sand, and moss, and incorporating man-made common household construction materials such as spackle and bead-board panelling, the forms within the compositions and the surface of the paintings become interdependent in the translation of the message.

If you are interested in additional information about this body of work or my thesis, please don't hesitate to email me!

Monday, May 10, 2010

May 10, 2010: Tornado Outbreak...

I have been watching the news, The Weather Channel, TornadoVideos.Net (my favorite storm chase website), and weather radar today as the worst tornado outbreak in a decade broke out this afternoon across the state of Oklahoma. Having just spent a year studying and painting severe weather, I am, of course, riveted by the stories and images that are streaming in tonight. My congratulations go out to the storm chasers who risked life and limb to deploy scientific instrumentation ("turtles") in the paths of the twisters - your bravery astounds me, and your efforts will greatly improve our knowledge about these storms (and increase our chances of predicting tornados sooner and with greater accuracy). At the same time, my heart goes out the the thousands of people who have suffered loss in the wake of these violent funnels....as of 10:30 PM tonight, there are unconfirmed reports of five deaths in two Oklahoma counties. I think about this past year, as I read so many personal accounts of those who experienced tornados, and how I tried to internalize their experiences as I painted my thesis paintings. But I cannot even begin to imagine what it must REALLY be like....how terrifying....how amazing. I am also reminded of several visitors to my BFA Exhibit who asked me (quite churlishly, I might add) why I "like to paint devastation," as if my chosen subject matter is merely violence and destruction. In actuality, I am merely grabbing for something larger than life. The tornados (and hurricanes and dust storms) I paint have an inherent beauty; they are awesome --in the truest sense of the word. They remind us that there is something much, much larger at work in our natural surroundings. They remind us that our connections with our homes and each other are tenuous. And they remind us to appreciate what we have. Tornados, after all, are living, violent metaphors for the efficient manner in which our lives can change drastically, immediately, and without warning. My prayers go out to those effected by the storms today.