Tiyana Mitchell is an American/ Jordanian artist. Having lived in various places around the world, between New York, Arizona, California, Jordan, and growing up in Cyprus, her work is informed by the complexity of identity. Holds a dual degree from Parsons School of Design and Eugene Lang College, in Fine Arts and History, a combination of which provides the groundwork to her painting practice. She is interested in the archival research and history which is built upon in her painting which draw from her experience working with her families archive.
Artist Statement
My paintings explore the idea of fragmented memory, often through the human form. The works are primarily concerned with the decontextualisation of select portions of archival images, reimagining this to gain a further understanding of the original. The paintings exist as a middle ground between the my deceased Jiddo’s (grandfathers) photographic archive and my understanding of the history and stories that have been passed down.
The archival research that has spanned the past four years, informs the work before it reaches the canvas plane. The archive is based in the Middle East between the 1930’s and 1980’s and highlights the period of the British mandate on Israel/ Palestine. It contains images of great-great uncle and great grandfather's roles as Mayor and District Commissioner in Jerusalem during this period. The photographs and archival material showcase a time of transition, that of which allows a small view into the past. It becomes a way to look into a history and past that primarily exists through images.
Through my painting practice I aim able to remove the final piece from the original historical narrative it is bound to. The works no longer exits within the limitations of the photograph and the context of the original, they are adapted and altered, creating a distortion between reality and memory. The paintings focus on aspects of the photo that remained in the background, what could seem initially insignificant. What appears in the final painting is specific, as what is left out is intentional. It is an examination of memory; what was, as well as how the paintings have reinforcing and reimagining the past while preserving the integrity of the photographs.