Anne Herlihy

Branching Out

2020

I In the dream I chose to work with, I gave birth to a strange sculptural object. It looked like an organic form made up of seed pods and angular radiating branches. I separated them into four distinct parts, and then each one transformed into a baby. The babies ran in all directions and I chased them, with the help of my husband Ben and my close friend, Holly. In processing this dream, I considered the many meanings that babies evoke for me: potentiality, new beginnings, innocence, but also responsibility—for new projects, for the fruits of my labor, for the choices I make. This resonates with me because I often feel that I am going down all roads at once. Just as the babies ran in separate directions and I chased them all. The dream was funny and exciting, but also at times difficult and overwhelming. To process it, I used animation, drawing, and printmaking (again, many directions). In analyzing the dream, I realized that each of the mediums was highly satisfying. There is no need to choose, but each one requires my full attention. And at times, it is okay to collaborate, to have help.e.