Gregor's Room

 

Room of Remorse, paper, Indian ink 

Dimensions of bed without headboard: 8.5" x 5.5" x 2"

Dimensions of bed with headboard: 9.5" x 6" x 5"

This piece was inspired by The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. The piece is a depiction of Gregor Samsa's bedroom, the place in which his metamorphosis takes place. The items in the space are cramped to reflect how Gregor felt after his metamorphosis, and the room is filled with chaotic colors and patterns to imitate the tone of the story. Baby blues and baby pinks reflect the colors of childhood and the feeling of helplessness, while browns and purples add chaos and confusion to the mix. This represents Gregor's feelings about his metamorphosis because he felt helpless and ashamed of what had happened. The piece is titled Room of Remorse to allude to this and to reflect how Gregor felt after the metamorphosis. Gregor himself is represented as a small black ball of swirling stress, sadness, and shame, as that is the energy he gave off in the story. He is also the only piece in the display without color, which reflects his state of being as well as the fact that he stuck out like a sore thumb after his metamorphosis. He felt like a burden to his family, and he wanted to stay covered and out of sight to maintain good ties with them. Gregor's family thought negatively about his metamorphosis, but everyone was confused bout what happened and unsure of what to do next. His writing desk, complete with a pen and a piece of paper, are included as this was a sentimental piece of furniture that he did not want to leave his room. Gregor's family started moving furniture out of the room to allow him more space, but he secretly wished that this item would stay. His bedroom door is also included because it adds a sense of containment to the space, as his family did not allow him out of his room and when he did venture out of his room, it caused trouble. The door acted as a boundary between Gregor and his family. The wood grain and tie dye patterns clash to display a mix of emotions. The door, bedframe, and writing desk are all colored brown to invite consistency among the pieces, but the pink, blue and purple colors add notes of  chaos, confusion, and isolation.