Saturday, July 10, 2010

Contrasts and Juxapositions



Playing with cast teeth I explore the macabre in a decorative context...I truly enjoy this juxtaposition...attracting the viewer with something seemingly beautiful, drawing in them in with not only the shininess but also the scale...these works literally need to be seen in close proximity...forcing the viewer to confront concepts and meaning they may not be ready to address...teeth are dream imagery for death...they have personal meaning for me in this context, but they also take on a possible universal meaning for my guest...loss...pain...breaking down of sustenance...class...culture...and human evolved existence...
The form is beautiful and clever...functional...with a distinct top...the business of the tooth, above the surface of the gum...visible and clean...Below the surface is the root...the protected, messy part of the form...twisted, jagged, rough in texture...this contrast is visually compelling and at the same time, horrifying in its possibilities.