GEOLOGY of longing
digital collage
by smita sen
2019–Present
ABOUT
Geology of Longing is a series of collage and text works in which I record pieces of my grieving process following the passing of my father. My father was a geologist, and he would always enchant us with his knowledge of the Earth, telling us the story of our surroundings. With this series, I attempt to create 'grief maps,’ combining NASA’s images of Mars with topographic maps, images of my 3D modeled sculptures, and late night writings. This series is an attempt to map my grief in the same way one would map an alien landscape. In keeping with my studies of the body and memory, I compare the human body to planetary bodies. I consider how both preserve memories of life after death – the body, in the way it stores and expresses grief, and planetary bodies, in the way they preserve history in fossils and in chemical signatures. More than an artistic endeavor, this ongoing work is also an attempt to get closer to my father and his career as a geologist.
EXCERPT
”I feel nothing today. Maybe it’s because I haven’t eaten. I don’t know if I can stand the numbness. Maybe it’s the worst part. I want to know more about the Jezero crater. The one on Mars. Not that it was a part of your field. Still, I want to know more about the potential for an environment to preserve fossils. Tell me more about geophysical processes. I would love to know more about the way our planets preserve life after death.”
