Project 1 The Box

Project 1 – Boxed Mind

The box remains a central part of my art work, so I decided to look further into its meaning. The definition of a box is a container, which is an object that can be used to hold or transport something. Synonyms of a container are a vessel, a casket, and pottery. In this sense, one could consider the human mind a vessel that stores memories. This concept was intriguing and worthy of further development.

Focusing on this concept, the human mind became a space comprised of various compartments. Each compartment ranged from a single level to multiple levels. The multi-level compartment were for the more complex thoughts and feelings; places that needed more space to breathe.

As I planned the sculpture, I envisioned a mandala, made with various shaped boxes instead of circles. Originally thinking about using paper to sculpt, my vision began to change as I cut out each individual area. The piece needed to be more solid and sturdy, so I brought in the natural element of wood. Wood is a sustainable substance that lives, breathes, and dies similarly to the human body. The wood pieces can be scarred by knots, cut into so the wound weeps, and blown over by the wind. Through time is stands tall, it is resilient. Once it falls, it can be made into something beautiful and equally long lasting.

To make this piece, I traced the individual shapes onto flat thin pieces of wood. Each piece was then cut using the band-saw. The pieces were not uniform even though they came from the same shape. From out of the individually cut pieces, a multi-level design developed. Wood pieces were held together by glue, sanded down to remove the sharp splinters, and laid out onto the backboard. After the pieces were dry, I stained several to create a more in-depth appearance. The final step was to trim each of the sides to maintain a uniform composition and structure to the box.