Muses 2007

Series: Interior Frames

Presented as an object on a pedestal, dark, intimate and enticing, the triumvirate of Muses reshape ideals that defined 'Woman' in mythology, antiquity and historical art (and seen still in contemporary sculptures by Paolini and Kiefer, among others). Here, the svelte figure rebuilds typologies through a triplicated form, evoking the Feminist symbol of independence, the male Phallus, and the Pawn in the game of chess. Multiples of three repeat in the triangular composition, and legs and feet which connect tentatively with the floor. The polished glass orbs are poised like heads on necks ringed with steel, holding a swirl of black feathers from an exotic species of bird. The Victorian pedestals or jardinière in French from the feminine form of "gardener" are carved in native, English and 'New World' woods, and once graced cultivated colonial villas and held ornaments or ferns. Inside the globe, the wild content is held under restraint, a dark pool or a reflective screen from all sides.