What Remains Unsaid

Tayla Blewitt-Gray

Area: Digital Art

Thesis Statement

When someone dies the absence we feel can be for the person alongside the now missing connection, we feel the impact they have on our lives big and small. It can become important to give the bereaved a chance to express their loss— not just directly after death but weeks, months or even years later. Through the use of the moving image, I have drawn from my own personal experiences of loss to allow others to contemplate how we discuss it.

After losing a long-term family friend Shirley, in 2019 and then my grandmother in 2020, as I became ready to share my experiences, I discovered many people would clam up. Whether they were uncomfortable or trying to be kind, conversations were brief. I began to realize within my own family we have allowed a space to talk about loss– while at times still difficult it is not taboo. Discussions around grief and death can be difficult, but by allowing an open dialogue it decreases the feelings of isolation that often surround them.

Through video I focus on revealing the ongoing process of grief including how at times it can be invisible, and how we begin to consider the changes in our lives. The visuals are made to represent the slipperiness of memory as we attempt to hold on to what little we might have left. Grief is a common experience that can occur at any point, refusing to allow a space for it to exist can make it worse. Giving space to ourselves, and each other ensures that we can grieve and remember those who have passed.