Sterling Silver, Glass, Earth, Bone
2 1/4" x 5 1/4" x 1 3/4"
Everything that we believe we "know" is limited by our experiences, our environment, our culture, and our genes, which combined, give us our individual perception of what is real. Our senses are the mediators between reality and our awareness of it. Relative truth, adopted truth, personal truth. I am interested in the defintions assigned to identities, their significances, and the influential forces that drive them, be they archetypes, religions or societies.In The Treachery of Symbols, the image of man becomes deified, and a remote, mysterious God that breathes life through the pipe's stem becomes tangible. The symbol of the pipe, an object traditionally associated with culture and spirituality, gives identity to a God that we can potentially grasp. The earth and bone cloistered within the bowl of the pipe represent man and woman, encapsulated by their socially appointed roles. As the bowl is opened fully, the female becomes positioned away from the male. When closed, the center of life returns to that familiar state where only ashes remain.
