exciting you right now that you’d like to address in
your work in the future?
JM: My neurological and figurative work is
converging in surprising ways with two new
works: “Secret Chambers: Ancestors” and
Family of Dendrites. While not consciously
intentional, both sculptural groups revolve
around family dynamics and could be interpretations of the same event addressed from
an internal and external perspective.
The “Secret Chambers” series interweaves
recurring emotive and scientific themes
in a way which fuses the internal world of
neurons and biochemistry with the external
manifestation of particular psychological
states. The first sculptures in this new series
are in development and revolve around a concealed family secret involving suicide, Secret
Chambers: Ancestors. The sculptural group is
composed of two figures and a very large key.
The troubled male figure is giving the ‘key’
to a much smaller female figurine who is no
match for the weight of this tragic secret.
The key is loosely based on allegorical stories
involving St. Peter receiving the keys to the
kingdom of Heaven from Christ. The plaster cast key in this particular case is one to
unlocking a neural and familial mystery and is
encoded with the steroid hormone cortisol,
released in excessive amounts in response
to stress. While originating from a personal
story, the sculptures are meant to serve as archetypes, not portraits of specific individuals.
Family of Dendrites, the sixth piece in the
“Dendrites” series, is composed of three
figures in a posture reminiscent of a classical
Madonna and child with a noticeable twist.
The larger mother neuron is cradling two
smaller children in her arms. She is protecting and shielding them from what may be a
tumultuous ride ahead.
The two sculptural groups when viewed
together comprise an interpretative glimpse
of what family dynamics look like from the
outside and the inside. Expect to see more
sculptures investigating this fertile region
where internal and external states intersect.
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SciArt in America June 2015