ence as they are viewed in the context of the
larger piece. Witness III is agitated, Witness I
is frozen in a moment of time and exudes a
palpable angst and fragility.
The “Standing” series delves into
emotional and physical states captured in an unguarded instant. The
naked figures seem to be in a state of
fright, agitation or expectancy—on
the verge of a breakthrough or breakdown. The seven sculptures in this
series are caught between composure
and collapse with their physical presence exemplifying this tension.
Standing-by is waiting expectantly for
something to occur, not certain if it will
and unsure about what the outcome
will be, and consequently a bit anxious
about it. Similarly, her smaller cousin,
I’m Here! is afraid that she may be overlooked due to her physical size or
general apathy. One Step Forward
reflects the fierce determination
involved in taking a step into
uncharted territory. I’m Still Here
is a resigned contemplation of her
younger, former self, possibly even
the self portrayed in I’m Here! Aging is a recurring motif and explored from an interior perspective in When I’m Old, part of the
“Dendrites” series.
JB: Neurons, or brain cells, crept
their way into your oeuvre with your
“Dendrites” series. Taking on visceral
and anthropomorphic forms, what is
behind this series for you?
JM: Neurons and their dendrites—
the part of the cell that acts as a
reciever—are involved in complex
cognitive functions including memory, perception, and learning.
Dendrites are tree-like branches
or spines on a neuron that are
specialized to receive signals
from the axons of other neurons. Dendrites are the only
part of the neuron that fire
electrical signals in the brain in
response to stimulation from
SciArt in America June 2015
one of the five sensory organs of the nervous
system, i.e., eyes, ears, and the organs of
smell and taste. Unlike antennae, they
are more than just passive transmitters. A 2013 study in the journal Nature
discovered a previously unknown function of dendrites. They found that dendrites not only receive information but
actually process it like ‘mini-computers’.
This is truly phenomenal and captivating
on many levels—it means dendrites store
memories and other neur al details.
With the “Dendrites” series, I wanted
to investigate how memories, experiences, and other neurological conditions
influence our lives by exploring the vessels in which these pieces of information
are stored in the brain.
The pigmented plaster cast sculptures in “Dendrites” use neurons
and dendrites as a springboard to
peer into our minds. The current
belief is that certain memories and
experiences create distinct neural
pathways. When the neuron’s pattern of information is disrupted, it
can interfere with brain function and
is believed to play a role in anxiety,
Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia,
depression, autism, and degenerative
disorders like Parkinson’s disease. The
sculptures in this series are interpretations of what these microscopic cells
may look like when one is old, young,
afraid, or affected by a particular neurological condition.
For example, When I’m Scared interprets what a frightened neuron would
look like. The neuron’s body is curled
in a fetal position with its many dendrite arms protectively encasing it. The
cell body has a number of cavities filled
with red blood cells to amplify the fearful state that it is in. When I’m Old
investigates the nature of memory as
evidenced by long dendrite branches
reaching skyward and back in time.
The neuron’s nucleus is filled with
smaller replicas of the larger dendrite
to emphasize the repetitive nature of
emotion and experience with age. In
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