A dialogue with metal as both a material and through its artificial, destructive influence. The triptych addresses the fixation of the state accompanying unnatural decay, as well as two subjective counter-motives—the industrial and the organic.
The visual technique employed is the longitudinal deformation of the images, mirroring the shape of the metal sheet.
The process of artificial rusting serves as an image of imposed external influence or circumstance.
1. sardonicus rīsus
A smile intended to convey facade contentment, when accompanied by external imposition, gradually transforms into a sardonic one. Gritted teeth and a waxy mask of terror operate on a metaphorical plane, but they also enter into a semantic dialogue with the material: risus sardonicus also appears with tetanus—an acutely progressing infection characterized by massive nerve system damage, severe spasms, and persistent, prolonged skeletal muscle tension. Infection can occur from a wound sustained from rusted metal containing soil or dust particles where the bacterium Clostridium tetani lives.
2. Foundation of Foundations
A figurative reference to industrial support structures allows for a parallel with the human form and raises the question of actualizing internal supports in resistance to destructive external forces.
3. vita
The organic and vital aspects within a person represent the potential to overcome imposed mental and physical destruction.
single sheet size: 1250×500×1 mm
Metal sheets can be displayed on a 80 cm high pedestal or suspended by cables.