Statement for exhibition at SUGAR, Nov 2009 - Jan 2010
In these still lifes, I use different presentations to explore the psychological import of the objects portrayed. My aim in the first set of sculptures is to ennoble certain seemingly insignificant objects by putting them on a pedestal. At crucial moments throughout the day, these humble articles become the linchpin holding together all our well-laid plans. In the remaining works, I depict objects that symbolize particular fears of mine. Each object is concealed by a drape and only the title reveals what the object is. This presentation alludes to the disconnect between intellectually knowing what our fears are and the actual experience (sensory, emotional and otherwise) of what frightens us. It is our own investigation of and familiarity with these fears that bridge this gap and change our relationship to them over time.
Statement for OM MA NI PAD ME HUM series
Using imagery extracted from historical monuments and traditional sculpture, these works symbolize the obstacles to enlightenment illustrated in the Buddhist mantra "Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum." By enunciating each of the six syllables of the mantra, Buddhists believe you neutralize a corresponding negative emotion's dominance over your actions, thus releasing yourself from ego. In a medium historically used to glorify and immortalize heroic acts, these intimate stone works function in the reverse. Instead of heralding a glorious victory or celebrating a renowned beauty, these works are meditations on the purgation of harmful emotions. Through shifts in scale and by isolating key moments from the general narrative, some of the original forms are retained but they speak to a different truth; they illustrate a flawed humanity that we all recognize.