Lisa Costanzo

Region: Northeast

Website: http://lisacostanzo.com

City / State: Boston, MA

My work sits in an uncomfortable and peculiar place.

I have always been curious about the idea of identity; the internal and external influences that define the self and sets the boundaries of interaction in society. In an attempt to show one's identity, rank, or beauty, artists throughout history engaged in the use of garments, headgear, costumes, and accessories. This practice has been the foundation of my work since I began making art.

With the aid of costume, disguise, masking, and props, I cast and self-cast to create a persona that challenges the viewer to look in a similar manner into his or her own self. My process almost always begins with a composite of characters and narratives that evoke an awkwardness and sometimes, uneasy humor.

My intent is to make odd juxtapositions that blur the lines between past and present, real and imagined, engaging the beautiful and the macabre and in the end, present a physiologically charged and curious image that will leave the viewer with more questions than answers.

These drawings from my series "Hunting" speaks to my own physical and psychological artistic process; reflections of my identity in the moment recreated in different times and spaces. As I wander, search and explore I've attempted to use the physical to capture and put forth the current mental states that take me through my process.