Kendall Buster

Kendall Buster is another artist who has an extremely unique aesthetic. I find her work to be most compelling because of the size and placement of the installations. The first few pieces of her work that I viewed were all transparent and appear to be very light in weight. These images gave me a feeling of an underwater environment or a cloud-like atmosphere. The reason my mind immediately was drawn to those
comparisons is because the installations are so unique. When I see something
completely new for the first time, my mind automatically seeks to find a comparison in order to comprehend it. Upon reading further about where these pieces were installed and what they symbolize, I began to understand there is a lot more than meets the eye. I liked her work more and more as I saw a variety of materials and forms. Her Untitled (Spy) piece as well as the armored hides stuck out to me because of their darkness and the contrast in feeling that you take away from the piece.

Another work I sought to explore the meaning of was called “New Growth”. When I first saw this piece I saw a light, airy, cityscape that was organic in shape. In my mind, these are contradicting features that combine to create a unique work of art. Upon further reading I saw that she meant to portray the union of architecture and biology, which made sense. I found her quote below to also be stimulating in my thoughts about building interiors and how they relate to our senses and emotions:

“I am also interested in exploring the tension between what is revealed and what is
concealed; how windows link interior space with exterior place to create shifting sightlines; how narrow entryways or low passages act in direct confrontation with the body; how space is compressed and movement directed; how one is at times hidden, and at times exposed. I like how in enclosed spaces there is a contradictory promise of
protection and trap, but how open spaces can evoke a peculiar mix of euphoria and vulnerability.”

The way I interpret Buster’s work is definitely affected by my own experiences and emotions. As I mentioned before, the size of the work makes the pieces that much more striking. I find that I relate the work to things unknown to me. I grew up in Kansas with a mostly flat terrain, small buildings and many driving hours from any ocean. However, when I view her work, I see tall buildings and underwater organisms. I find myself
floating in the clouds or swimming in the ocean to see the other side. Even though this may not have been the intention of her work, it provokes a feeling of adventure and awe in me that I may not have otherwise felt.