The body is involved with viewing all art but with installation even more so. Installation art relates to you (the viewer) standing there. It might make you more aware of your movements, your height or weight. It might surround you or ask you to participate with touch. It might require that you walk through it. It might be very particular to the space you are in and may not make sense anywhere else.
I was thinking a lot about how we feel emotions in our bodies. Where do you feel joy, fear, or anxiety? Head, stomach, shoulders, hands, feet? Can you locate it? I tried to make a piece with x-rays to explore this physical emotion. It never quite got finished but this one emerged from the exploration.
A “stomach” is on a table that looks quite animated. It is nestled in the table – there are grooves where it sits as if it has been picked up and put down often. Maybe you come home from work, throw the keys in the basket, take off your shoes, remove your stomach, and relax?
When you view this piece you can see part of yourself in the mirror. It is an old mirror, the silver worn away in places. The locket stands open empty. There’s some kind of sadness and missing someone or thing.
| Dimensions: | 4′ x 30″ x 3′ |
| Materials: | Mirror, locket, table top is buckeye wood, table legs are mahogany, object is water-based clay, covered in oil-based clay, covered with plastic. |
| Completed: | 1990 |
| Last Shown : | 1991 “Surprise Visit”, one person show Eureka College, Eureka, IL |
