2012
Cast Crystal / Mirror / Stainless Steel / Taxidermy
10" x 6" x 6"
The interior of four crystal distillery jars contain the negative space of objects chosen to represent individuals in my life. Whether manufactured or natural, these selected forms are magnified to the viewer due to the highly polished exterior surface of the solid crystal.
The recessed detail of a magpie sitting on a pomegranate in 'Distilled Portrait I' is mirrored with silver nitrate in order to transform the negative space into a three-dimensional mirror. A taxidermy magpie sits on top of a jar peering intently at what seems to be its reflection within. Believed to be one of the most intelligent of all birds, the magpie is one of the few species known to be able to recognize itself in a mirror. Here, the bird represents the collector who is drawn to those highly reflective surfaces that construct the foundations of selfhood in our formative years.