Madison Castaldi

BFA Time Based & Digital Media

Art is simply how I convey the inner workings of my mind to the world. Growing up I struggled to feel accepted. I was reminded often by my peers that my mind was not wired the same as theirs. With a burning desire to speak my truth I found a language that made me understandable; video art. Falling in love with the vulnerability I could capture alone in my bedroom and later present publicly made the statement, “If walls could talk” become a reality.

The video Observing The Actual, serves as a metaphor for my self discovery. As a child I was never content with the way I wrote my name on worksheets in grade school. The feeling that would overwhelm my body due to the offset dot of an ‘I’ was indescribable. I was disgusted. Self-loathing. The question would arise, will I ever be good enough?— Could you imagine being in the first grade having such thoughts about your own name? This was the beginning of my identity issues. The truth is I was never confident. Overly aware of my flaws, I harnessed regrets and past versions of self which have clouded my vision for too long. Observing the emotions I carry towards myself intensively for three months this video serves as a documentation of coming to terms with who I am.

Observing the Actual - Video Link: https://youtu.be/gHbsbu5vGlI

Instagram: @castaldicopes