Growing Galaxies (Canis Major)

watercolor and ink on paper

Growing is a process that forces shifting ideas of home, whether that is defined as family members, geographic place, physical house, or intimate relationships and friendships.

Though I drew galaxies and maps in response to multiple themes and participants’ interviews, this particular piece is one of the most literal artworks in the project. The ideas and colors were explicitly mentioned by the participant in a final interview. I added the “Easter egg” of a specific constellation (Canis major) because four of the nine participants discussed the nature of academic life with their dog companions. While the general public frequently discusses the role of pets in human lives–the emotional support animal clause of the Fair Housing Act being one of them–having an animal companion was part of several participants’ discussions of making home and surviving the isolation of academia.

The support of our pets also enables us to grow–to feel capable of moving across the country alone to unfamiliar places, to take jobs that are extremely challenging, and to remember to play even when work or research are intense. Of course, participants who did not have pets reported doing these things for themselves and in community with others, but this painting sought to recognize the unique support of pets outside of human-to-human relationships.

Studies