Summer Jarolmen

A Home Within

The environment I was raised in is a central component in shaping the person I am today. A Home Within explores my childhood memories within my home life growing up, which have been defining moments in my own development. This topic is being explored through an object that holds nostalgia for me, a seashell, which denotes a personal association with a place or time. Seashells connect me to the physical environment of where I was raised, the shores of New Jersey, where empty seashells regularly sprinkled the beaches.  

Before being washed up on the shore, seashells were once a skeleton, existing to shelter small sea creatures. Similarly, the reconstructed seashells in A Home Within are a visual metaphor for my childhood home and experiences. The arrangement and layering of these slipcast shells allow for an opportunity to recapture and reconstruct the memories I hold closest to me.  

Each cluster of shells represents a different time period that holds specific memories and experiences. Some shells have been broken, representing faded memories, and no longer have the ability to be mended. Some broken shells have been mended back together, which reflect specific memories I've tried to hold on to. Using clay and slip casting, each shell was an effective way to capture the fragility of the shell, which is synonymous with memory. A Home Within represents the desire to go back to a place or time that no longer exists, allowing one to revisit fond memories and reconstruct past experiences.