Metaphors in works of art draw our attention away from the exact meaning of a depicted image, and remind us of similar qualities in something else. A metaphor is not the same as a symbol, which stands for something else (like a flat, red octagon stands for the action “stop”). In a metaphor, the meaning between the objects and ideas is similar, yet different. In Stephanie Torbert’s work, windows and doors are metaphors for passageways into other worlds. They show you the way to a different reality. Literally, a window is an opening in a wall. It becomes a metaphor when Torbert uses it to question our positions in the outdoor and indoor worlds we inhabit.

“It’s meant to confuse the viewer, in sort of a special way,” explains Torbert. “Not as if you are standing on a street corner and you’re lost, and you don’t feel good because you’re lost. It’s not about that kind of confusion, it’s about the kind of confusion that leads you to a new world.”