top of page

PARALLEL UNIVERSE 
2019-2020

The concept of the parallel universe is represented here as an allegory for presence in spite of the incomprehensibility of time. By portraying segmented figures melding in time and space with nature, the sublime is reimagined as a sense of exploration of the body and the mind, considering the infinite possibilities and an inconceivable capacity for experience despite a singular existence.

From a young age, I have been fascinated by the mutability of the natural environment, and by the overwhelming sense of displacement of mind and body within a chaotic universe. Having been immersed throughout childhood in a remote community surrounded by rugged wilderness, I grew to conflate the beauty and horror of vulnerability with the quiet resonance of undeveloped landscape. The magnitude of these feelings would eventually become untenable, and after lapsing into a prolonged state of dissociation that would last for over a decade, the mere act of perceiving the natural world had become an oppressive force.

By exploring ideas of healing from trauma, and by equivocating the Romantic sublime with contemporary mental health issues of self-awareness and empowerment, I aim to capture the experience of learning to reconnect mind and body, and find agency using the wilderness as a conduit. The content of the paintings includes scenes from my own backcountry expeditions, melded with lucid dream imagery and historic symbolism in order to pictorialize the sense of adrenaline, urgency, and awe that I experience while venturing into the remote places I have relearned to love.   

Collections : Collections
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook

©2024 by Laura Thipphawong

bottom of page