24X26X28" (life size), Sanded Cone 04 Earthenware and Enamel, 2015.
The large figure you see was built using slabs, coils, as well as wheel thrown elements.
The figure built hollow with the support of an internal architecture and fired as one piece.
The arms where supported at the elbows and wrists by a scaffolding of extruded clay tubes which connected to a waster slab underneath the figure. Once the drying and firing processes were completed the scaffolding was removed.
The figure is anatomically correct. In this piece I utilized a great deal of research into human anatomy and used various examples of figurative sculpture throughout art history to inform various elements.
In astrophysics Continual Genesis refers to the creation and destruction of the universe. In this theory, during the “Big Bang” the universe expands, but then also retracts back to its point of origin resulting in the “Big Crunch” – ultimately producing another “Big Bang” and the process repeats into infinity.
The term is also used in a slightly different way in theoretical physics/string theory. In theoretical physics/string theory it is used in reference to the “Multiverse”. The essence of this concept is that multiple universes exist alongside one another and are contained by “undulating membranes”. Kind of like bed sheets hung to dry on a clothesline waiving in the wind. However, the theory contends that when the membranes collide the collision creates a "spark" and a new “multiverse” is born of the two.
I created this piece in response to these two previous concepts.
20X30X10, Porcelain, thinly applied satin/matte white glaze, silver luster, sliver platter, 2015.
This piece developed out one major mishap.
It began when I started my first project during my stay in Oregon. The first initial idea was to sculpt a portrait bust of a man aggressively stuffing a sack of 3 books bearing the Fibonacci 1:1:2:3 sequence into one ear, represented on the spine of the three books, and then have the 5:8 progression being pulled out of his other ear, represented by a tear drop shaped spiral.
I later left a heater to aid in the drying of another project. However, this had an effect on the sculpture as well. While I left the heater on to dry the one project the overall humidity went up in the room, the clay of the sculpture softened, the head fell off the bust, struck the crown of the head on the table, and landed on the floor. Luckily none of the major details were destroyed. The first calming thought I had was “When life gives you lemons you make lemonade.”
20X30X10, Porcelain, thinly applied satin/matte white glaze, silver luster, sliver platter, 2015.
So… “When life gives you a porcelain severed head you ... you… you… You nail it to the wall with a golden railroad spike!” Why I thought this? I don’t know. I then began to remember a sculpture of Kelly Rathbone’s, Judith and Holofernes. I thought if she can use that art history reference of a woman decapitating a man then I can surely find one for this.
I then researched severed heads throughout art history; and I came across the story of Yael and Sierra. In the book of judges Yael killed a warring general using a tent peg. While he slept she hammered the tent peg into his skull so fiercely that it not only priced his skull, but fixed his head to the ground.
So, I ran with this idea and began researching the anatomy of the muscles in the head and neck, to develop this concept further, and looked at how other artists represented a severed head throughout art history.
Once the head and spike were finished I began to think about the presentation of the piece in its entirety.
20X30X10, Porcelain, thinly applied satin/matte white glaze, silver luster, sliver platter, 2015.
I had several ideas, but the one I finally chose was based on the saying “Bring me his head on a silver platter.” Taken from the story of Salome and St. John the Baptist. I then scoured the internet for the perfect silver platter, purchased it on eBay, and changed the color of the spike from gold to silver to match the platter.
So, I feel that I not only salvaged this piece from failure, but it actually grew from it, making it more beautiful and strange all at the same time, creating a tension that was never intended. It changed direction drastically from its initial intention, becoming an object with a personal story, and then became something more. Through research into both art history references and biblical figures it became an object that holds significance not only to art history, reaching back hundreds of years into the renaissance, but takes those same renaissance references and reaches back thousands of years to the source of biblical legend.
Cone 04 earthenware and mixed media, 18X18X24", 2013.