UNTITLED (EGG)

Made from a stump found on the roadside in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, which left us without power for 4 days in September 2019.

 

Navigating institutional gatekeeping around studio space and access to facilities, I worked slowly, whittling away at the material on and off over a period of two years with manual and power tools: spokeshave, mallet and chisels, angle grinder and carving discs. The shape continues to evolve incrementally, and cracks shift in the seasons and spaces where it rests.

The weight and size, and the way I need to move my own body to move it, reminds me of lifting a small Atlas stone.* Unlike the strongman’s concrete version which can be rough on unsleeved arms, I find it pleasant and satisfying to lift and move the egg, almost comforting.

 

* In Greek mythology, Atlas is forced to hold the skies on his shoulders for eternity, or until someone willingly takes the load from him.

 

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Year: 2019 – 2021

Material: spalted beech

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This project was supported in part by funding from the Government of Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

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