While the origin of the term 'carnival' is believed to be Italian, its original meaning is disputed. Based on folk etymology, one interpretation of the late latin term 'carne vale' is 'a farewell to the flesh' — suggesting a release of the everyday self to embrace the spirit of the occasion. From the Caribbean carnivals of my parents' origins, to the twinkling amusement park carnivals of an urban Canadian upbringing, many incarnations surrounded me, each with a distinct character, yet similar in the emotions evoked. Softly fractured memories have melded, becoming layered and abstracted, differing customs and aesthetics are ambiguous, their origins unclear. Layered and abstract has begun to characterize my own jigsaw of identity. With fragments of influences never rooted in reality, my childhood feels like a tapestry of interwoven occasions, embraced and never fully understood. Carne Vale fuses elements of mixed media, painting and video. The imagery is layered and abstracted as if looking at a carnival though the wings of a dragonfly, whose eyes are composed of thousands of lenses fragmenting the image. This metaphor implies perception as kaleidoscopic, revealing the beauty in the overlapping, blurry childhood memories and influences that shape one’s perspective.
