Hydrocal and wood, 2010-2011
The raised fist as a symbol has been utilized by many groups, including the Black Power movement, the Women’s Liberation movement, the Peace movement, several Socialist movements, and more contemporary examples within youth subculture. That context and history as a sign of protest and resistance are noted here, except baby culture triumphs. Assembled in army formation, the upraised fists are poised in a gesture of infant solidarity. While small as individuals, their collective presence becomes a force with which to be reckoned.
Hydrocal and wood, 2010-2011
The raised fist as a symbol has been utilized by many groups, including the Black Power movement, the Women’s Liberation movement, the Peace movement, several Socialist movements, and more contemporary examples within youth subculture. That context and history as a sign of protest and resistance are noted here, except baby culture triumphs. Assembled in army formation, the upraised fists are poised in a gesture of infant solidarity. While small as individuals, their collective presence becomes a force with which to be reckoned.
Ten solid bronze rings, 2010-2011
In American culture, wedding rings are loaded symbols of commitment, love and promise. In a mainstream context, the size of the “rock” is often seen as a measure of the intensity of that commitment, the worthiness of the bride and/or the status of her groom. Size matters. The culture around diamonds alone carries its own weight: a girl’s best friend, the gift that lasts a lifetime, “diamonds are forever”, worth two months salary, etc. Diamonds are portrayed as what every woman wants, and what every man should give her to demonstrate his affection and devotion.
This sculpture has weight – the literal physical weight of cast solid bronze, but also the figurative and burdensome weight that we place on this symbol. At 18 pounds each, one can easily pick one up, but having to hold or carry it becomes tiring and inconvenient. Rather than being buffed to a shiny brilliance, the surface of each ring has a patina that renders the bronze to appear old, discarded, or perhaps appearing as recovered artifacts from a buried site. They are not revered here on a pristine pedestal, but are left in a pile on the floor. The shape of the rings’ diamond is the “old single cut”, a satirical reference to my own marital status. Bronze’s history of being the first metal used for tools and weapons is also a decidedly humorous reference.
The rings may be touched, handled, or rearranged.
Ten solid bronze rings, 2010-2011
In American culture, wedding rings are loaded symbols of commitment, love and promise. In a mainstream context, the size of the “rock” is often seen as a measure of the intensity of that commitment, the worthiness of the bride and/or the status of her groom. Size matters. The culture around diamonds alone carries its own weight: a girl’s best friend, the gift that lasts a lifetime, “diamonds are forever”, worth two months salary, etc. Diamonds are portrayed as what every woman wants, and what every man should give her to demonstrate his affection and devotion.
This sculpture has weight – the literal physical weight of cast solid bronze, but also the figurative and burdensome weight that we place on this symbol. At 18 pounds each, one can easily pick one up, but having to hold or carry it becomes tiring and inconvenient. Rather than being buffed to a shiny brilliance, the surface of each ring has a patina that renders the bronze to appear old, discarded, or perhaps appearing as recovered artifacts from a buried site. They are not revered here on a pristine pedestal, but are left in a pile on the floor. The shape of the rings’ diamond is the “old single cut”, a satirical reference to my own marital status. Bronze’s history of being the first metal used for tools and weapons is also a decidedly humorous reference.
The rings may be touched, handled, or rearranged.