The concepts of my work are rooted in my interest in psychology and the debate over nature versus nurture. Through work at a half-way house for recovering alcoholics, I became engaged with the question of whether one’s personality is a product of genetics or is instead determined by life's consequences. The exploration of the debate between nature and nurture is evident in my art through the pairing of astrological charts with images that are appropriated from old photos. I use astrology to symbolize Fate and the inability to control one’s destiny. The images of my relatives signify the environmental conditions that mold one’s personality. The juxtaposition of these two categories of images implies conflict and creates an uncomfortable atmosphere within the confines of the work. One of the resources I make use of is the symbolism of alchemical imagery. The use of the feminine and masculine as opposing forces combining to form a new compound is a common theme within alchemy and I have appropriated this theme for the exploration of the roles that gender plays in our species.

-Derek Cracco

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