Collection for a (Difficult) Year, Found objects, gesso, graphite power, Dimensions variable, 2020
The wishbone sat on the windowsill above the kitchen sink for a few weeks. One afternoon as I washed the day’s lunch plates, I observed that little bone, so pleasing in its shape and size, and became inspired to do something with it. Almost immediately I thought to cover it with powdered graphite. I also knew it had to be part of a set, so I paired it with a similarly shaped twig from an oak tree.
These two objects turned into a collection of poetic symbols based on history and folklore, little sayings, and stories about superstitions and remedies. As I wandered my backyard and neighborhood looking for objects to add, I wondered about meanings in relationship to what we are all currently experiencing. Many of the words I found to be fitting for the now: caution, predictions, perseverance, hope. I found comfort in the finding, in creating a collection of familiar objects, and in archiving emotions in the moment.
At times when I felt overwhelmed and unsure, finding a new object, researching it’s history, and covering it with graphite felt like an important act. Individually and as a group they anchored me in their simplicity and meaning. They were a collection for another collection, one of concurrent and enormously complex things: a global pandemic, civil unrest in light of racial injustices, political upheaval, catastrophic weather due to climate change, and a failing economy. They were a collection for a difficult year.
Objects include, from top left:
Protection, Shark’s took
Solace, Sea snail shell
Hope, Chicken wishbone and oak twig
Harmony, Olive branch
Perseverance, Magnolia see pod
Caution, Oleander seed pod
Predictions, Oak galls
Wisdom, Valley Oak and Coast Live Oak leaves
Regeneration, Sequoia pinecone
Recovery, Lupin seed pods
Change, Sanddollar
Tenacity, Crab claw
Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!
