Dominic Quagliozzi

Lives and works in Boston, MA, USA

Artist statement

Transient Nature of Being (homesick) is a deeper investigation into a prevalent feeling I’ve had since my double lung transplant in 2015- being homesick and existing in these transitional spaces. I'm not necessarily homesick for a specific place, but rather a tension of purpose, time and expectation. Questions like where and what is home? Am I a home for my donor’s lungs- his physical matter? How do I reconcile my new set of responsibilities after transplant? Reimagining and rebuilding my identity. Through the use of drawing, painting, and sewing I cut, mend and collage medical materials, hospital gowns and moving blankets into shapes that represent transitional moments. I start by counteracting the stillness and surrender of the hospital gowns with rigorous mark making and gestural drawing. These marks announce my agency and presence, a direct action. I work with the materials that form the residue of this emotional activity- hospital gowns- moving blankets, mylar inspirational balloons. The hospital gown represents a moment of surrender, exposing our physical and emotional fragility. Similarly, moving blankets embody the transient nature of life, reflecting the bittersweet emotions of leaving and arriving, of longing for familiarity amidst the unknown.

Artwork