Fireside Chat: Artist Statement

Fireside Chat: Artist’s Statement

            I chose to recite the poem “The Cremation of Sam McGee” for my presentation. I first heard this story from my oldest brother many years ago and which I have always remembered because of the visual richness, the comedy, and overall great experience. I have always been able to remember certain images that have come to my mind when certain stanzas were said. This story considers what it means to keep a promise. This moral has always stayed with me because of what the storyteller goes through to keep his promise. Because I first heard this story from my oldest brother and is something that has resurfaced from time to time, it has become something sentimental or nostalgic for me to remember and recite and so has a special place in my heart.

            I also enjoy this poem a great deal because it comes off being a serious poem about a guy dying and having to haul a body around on a sleigh pulled by dogs but turns into a comedic ending – a good mixture and representation of what our lives consist of. Because the poem has such poetic language, it’s sometimes easy to get caught up in the way it’s told rather than what’s actually being said. But once you understand what’s happening the language creates such vivid imagery it’s hard to forget. To ensure that people could follow the story to at least some degree, I compiled some images that met a certain aesthetic. The images were mostly painted, and were vibrantly colored except for the image of Sam McGee. I chose images that were representative of a stanza or two. This way, when I would recite those stanzas I would have the images projected on the screen that would help people follow along and get the most out of the experience.