Devon Martinez BFA General Fine Arts Thesis Fall 2023
The installation, Out of Place, is a collection of objects found and constructed that explores the phenomenon of déjà-rêvé, meaning “already dreamed,” using the relationship between subject and object. By analyzing déjà-vu, dream research, artifacts on memory and found object theory, and dissecting artwork operating in the realm of duplication and the domestic, I seek to bring the sensation of familiarity-like déjà-rêvé to a state of representation. Intended as a sort of experiential collage, my thesis installation and the accompanying research paper reveal the ignored places and things that we interact with daily as dreamlike and multidimensional entities capable of eliciting memories. The bedroom-like space is altered using collage and printmaking techniques, employing found imagery and objects, family heirlooms and stories, and dream journals. It uses symbolism and metaphors as a mechanism to invite viewers to reconsider their relationships to our environment and things.