the great wilderness

Photo credit: Kyla Fear Portraits

Autumn T. Thomas

“the great wilderness”, 2025

Yarn (yearn?), screws, hope, the past, Lacrimal fluid, ChatGPT, physics, my inner child

84” x 84”

Statement:

This installation is an invitation to a return to wonder. Simple and familiar, it asks us to rediscover the meaning in symbols often taken for granted. Inspired by E=MC2, It reflects transformation—the exchange of energy and light that connects us in unseen ways, showing us how mass becomes energy and energy becomes light. This work considers the endless cycles of change that shape our world. What does art mean when it is pared down to its simplest form?
At its core lies a truth: we are each on our own path, moving toward the same destination. The collection of us, spread out at infinite points, is heading to the exact same destination, along the same path of darkness. James Baldwin reminds us: “The precise role of the artist…is to illuminate that darkness, blaze roads through that vast forest.” This work seeks to spark that light.