Artist Talk - Catrin Webster
Catrin Webster's lecture primarily discussed interdisciplinary collaboration and the use of diverse media and perspectives. What captured my attention most was her use of the pansy as a symbol to explore identity, memory, and minority voices. Her works are rich with symbolic meaning, including representations of highways, ancient Roman roads, and the pansy. The pansy serves both as a visually compelling element and an important cultural symbol within LGBTQ history. However, the term "pansy" has also evolved into a derogatory connotation in modern contexts. Webster reflects on this transformation, using her art to reimagine the pansy with poetic and meditative qualities, thereby repositioning it within cultural narratives.
Her project intertwines film and the pansy, aiming to explore the intersections of individual and collective identities. I observed that she not only cultivates pansies but also documents their withering process through prolonged photography and painting. The images of these flowers are combined with the dynamic visuals of film, forming the core visual language of her work. By employing symbolic objects, her pieces construct multi-layered narratives of identity and memory while challenging the fixed meanings of historical symbols. This approach provides diverse entry points for my exploration of migratory birds as a symbolic element in my own work.