Derosier refers to her piece in its entirety as a self-portrait. Each of the panels possesses autobiographical influences, and she creates this autobiography using imagery, color and texture to capture specific experiences in Derosier's own life, she said.
Derosier said her artistic process is visceral, as she associates certain color combinations and shape arrangements with certain emotions. However, the viewer does not need to understand the nature of these feelings in order to appreciate the piece and feel its impact. Her goal is for the panels to illicit a reaction in their viewers and to get them talking.
"I want to let people interpret [the piece] as they want," Derosier said.
The title of the exhibit, "Busy Doing Nothing," lends itself to Derosier's desire for a more active viewer. Each of the panels contains a lot of activity, forcing the viewer to examine the piece more closely in order to determine what this "nothing" means to them. Derosier said she took full advantage of the rotunda's shape, which allows the viewer to examine the work from 360 degrees, by positioning the panels in a circle to give viewers the opportunity to walk around and observe all angles.
"I want [viewers] to really engage with the piece, which is hard to do when [they] are just looking at art on a wall," Derosier said.
While the panels are presented as a group, each possesses a kind of energy and personality distinct from any other. Some panels consist of solid, geometric lines and shapes, while others include broader, more free-flowing strokes of vivid color. For this reason, Derosier said that some panels are more dynamic and "extroverted," while others are more muted and "introverted." A bold black-and-white face which Derosier described as her "signature self-portrait is situated on the panel facing the entrance to the Hopkins Center, and it is intended to draw the viewer in to further explore the rest of the piece.
Although each panel is quite different, the true beauty of this piece is its cohesiveness. Each can be valued on its own, as well as in combination with any other panel. Derosier has arranged the panels in such a way that the transition from one to the other is not too abrupt or disconcerting. Described as a "roller coaster," each panel seems to move into the next effortlessly, but upon taking another look, the viewer realizes the discordance.
"I tried to create an illusion [of continuity] to get the viewers thinking," Derosier said. "I want them to ask questions like, Why doesn't this connect?' The piece seems continuous to me, but it's not."
Derosier said she regards her piece as a culmination of her experience as an artist and is excited to present her work to the public. She is currently working on a series of charcoal drawings that she hopes to display in the near future.
Derosier's piece will be on display in the rotunda in the Hopkins Center until Nov. 11.
