Katina Bitsicas
Peripheral, 2018
HD video, 3:26
On loan from the Artist
Was on view in the E. Craig Wall, Jr. Academic Center from January 10th – February 20th, 2021. Peripheral can now be viewed on Katrina Bitsicas’ website.
Please note: All buildings on campus, including the Wall Center, are only open to Davidson students, faculty and staff due to the pandemic.
Artist Statement: Peripheral, from the body of work Involuntary Memory, represents the thoughts that come and go from our subconscious minds. The red line comes in and out of focus, symbolizing fleeting thoughts. The lines are organized like neurons, and flash as if a synapse is firing.
Q&A with the Artist
Q: The imagery does a great job of evoking a network of neurons and synapses communicating, particularly due to the quick movement of the depth of field. Can you explain your interest in visualizing neural networks and the subconscious?
A: Peripheral began as a dive into work about the red thread itself, which is a common material used throughout my work to represent connection through trauma and loss. The overarching theme is how this thread can be seen as a link between humans, but also as a metaphor for grief and the longing for connection. Peripheral represents the thoughts that come and go from our subconscious minds. The red thread comes in and out of focus, symbolizing our fleeting and intrusive thoughts. The action of the quick and spontaneous movement represents the lack of control we have over our intrusive thoughts. Creating an outward expression of an internal process, such as synapses communicating, aids in the meaning making of these experiences and creates a sense of control over a process that rarely seems within our control. I see this as a visual representation of this process that occurs numerous times throughout my life, and throughout the lives of others as well. In the almost 8 months since my father’s passing, I have had these spontaneous thoughts, memories, and reflections on experiences come in and out of my conscious and subconscious mind. I see Peripheral as a visual display of these experiences.
Katina Bitsicas is a new media artist who utilizes video, photography, and performance in her art works. Born in East Lansing, Michigan, she currently resides in Columbia, MO. She received her BA from Kalamazoo College and Post-Baccalaureate from SACI in Florence, Italy, and was awarded the Elizabeth A. Sackler Museum Educational Trust Scholarship. Katina then received her MFA from the University of South Florida. She is currently the Program Director and an Assistant Professor of Digital Storytelling at the University of Missouri. She has exhibited in multiple galleries, museums and festivals including The Armory Show in New York, NY; the Satellite Art Fair in New York, NY; PULSE Art Fair in Miami Beach, FL; and Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Fe, NM. She also worked as a production assistant on the Academy Award short-listed documentary film Battle for Brooklyn.