May Lo "Fallout" 8x10 Painting
Loss, grief, fear of the unknown, and the foreboding persistence of mortality weigh heavy on her existence. Art is May's mechanism for coping with dreadful and unsettling emotions that stem from the harsh realities of humanity. Endlessly fascinated by ecosystems; she finds obscure beauty in decay, and incessantly seeks answers to the age-old question, ‘What is the meaning of life?’ Working in mixed media, she explores visual contrast by merging fluid and organic forms with imagery hinging on the grotesque. Born in Los Angeles, May has lived in the Bay Area since she was two and is currently based in Oakland. Her work has been featured at the de Young and SFMOMA museum stores in San Francisco, under the name TIMMY MAYS.
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Most dreams start to fade as soon as we wake, some more quickly than others. Yet certain dreams find a permanent home in our minds. We may be able to recount particular details of such instances; it could be something unassuming - the shoes we were wearing, a specific food we ate, or a friend we met in passing. Perhaps these elements fit together like pieces of a puzzle, or maybe they overlap with no apparent order. Chances are we’ve had this dream before - so often that we’re able to recognize its occurrence, whilst completely lucid as it's happening. The rerun might trigger anxiety or trepidation. If we’re lucky, it's quite the opposite - the trip is so blissful we don’t want it to end. Either way, we let it play out knowing it's not real, and manage to find comfort in the familiar.
The persistent dreams stored in my imagination always evoke a sense of fear and terror. I awake startled and disoriented, but thankful for being in the tangible present. Contained in this work are feelings of dread, communicated through metaphoric images arranged like a collage with no obvious beginning or end. From this piece, I invite the audience to draw connections to or become inquisitive of their own emotions and subconscious experiences.
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