A Measure of Time
A Measure of Time is inspired by research into my family ancestry. As an American from a diverse background – Colombian and Irish, I have a desire to examine how identity is constructed and negotiated. Identity is self-defined by place, traces of the past, politics and knowledge. Seeking more information about my ancestry beyond what was passed down through generations, I turned to science.
The information contained in our DNA unlocks the history in our genetic memory that can give us a more complete picture of ourselves. My DNA test revealed unknown information about my ancestry that simultaneously validates and complicates my family's history and the way I understand my personal identity.
Using the test results and imagery from family documents I have created maps - both literal and metaphorical for my shifting identity. Working across printmaking and glass seems befitting of the complex subject of identity. The fusion of media is ephemeral (glass), yet fixed (print) and somehow remains mutable and mysterious like the journey of retrieving the past through DNA.