Deborah Wheeler

Deborah Wheeler

 

 

 

Artist Statement
The body, in certain contexts, has the ability to either free or oppress us. By re-appropriating American culture through found objects, I question social, political and cultural issues about sex, gender roles and marginalized groups. A form of semiotic manipulation occurs through the re-contextualization of  objects and their conventional spaces. As the signifier is removed from preconceived material frameworks, shifting context exposes charged meaning behind ordinary objects and the body. The viewer begins to perceive my reconstructed objects and environments through a new signified idea or sign. Thus, creating a poetic metaphor that is both strangely familiar and jarringly awakening. The concept of each sculpture or installation is critical in determining material choice, site specificity, and aesthetic direction. My intentions are to reveal and illuminate a hidden cultural agenda that subjugates individuals and perpetuates false stereotypical norms that accompany sex and gender identity.