"By the Hand of the Moon" references the separation from the maternal to recognize the self. The idea of the self as a container of experience is suggested through the bowls, and the different phases of self-discovery are referenced through the distinct states of each bowl. I chose to use wax to make the bowls, selected for its fragile and transparent characteristics, which evoke similar human qualities. The thread, a symbol of individual experiences in one's life, carries the weight of our experiences. Countless experiences shape an individual's character; individually, these experiences may not seem significant, like a single thread has limited strength, but collectively, the thread and one's experiences add up to a greater strength.
Placing the bowl, which alludes to the maternal, on a wooden stool refers to the humble position of being a mother while simultaneously having authority over her children. In the bowls placed on the floor, one has an umbilical-like braid that connects it with the "mother bowl," emphasizing the continuity and interconnectedness of the human experience. One part of the rim of this vessel has the thread chopped abruptly from it, referencing the point in a child's life at which they are severed from the life-giver or separated from the maternal by choice or at the hands of another. The other bowls in this group suggest phases of self-discovery, both positive and negative experiences that combine to create the whole being.
Placing the bowl, which alludes to the maternal, on a wooden stool refers to the humble position of being a mother while simultaneously having authority over her children. In the bowls placed on the floor, one has an umbilical-like braid that connects it with the "mother bowl," emphasizing the continuity and interconnectedness of the human experience. One part of the rim of this vessel has the thread chopped abruptly from it, referencing the point in a child's life at which they are severed from the life-giver or separated from the maternal by choice or at the hands of another. The other bowls in this group suggest phases of self-discovery, both positive and negative experiences that combine to create the whole being.
Wax, thread, hair, water, wood, 2'4" x 9' x 25', 2001
