Work in Progress

Faded Glory and the Repair

This work in progress is a collection of two gold cubes, approximately four inches. One gold cube will be hung on the wall while the other cube is exhibited on a pedestal. The wall piece is imperfect, with the gold not completely covering the surface, which is constructed of bubble wrap relief. The pedestal cube is imperfect as well. However, this one I will attempt to repair with fake gold and acrylic resin.

The different manners of display on a similar object examines painting and objecthood. The wall cube, faded glory, is a representation of traditional painting. It is imperfect, falling apart. The gold and sparkle has rubbed off. I attempt to fix this. Through changing the orientation of the cube from wall to pedestal, I am re-imagining the qualities of a painting. It no longer is wall based, nor is it passive. The pedestal protrudes into the gallery space, forcing the viewer to recognize the cube on the pedestal.

Shown on the pedestal and at a scale that relates to the human hand, I attempt to stress the object qualities of painting. One is invited to pick up the painting through its textured surface, gold shimmer, and scale. However, the object serves no literal function other than decorative. Metaphorically the cube attempts to fix the problems of painting but is not completely fixed within itself. The cube, painting, may never be perfect again. It will continue to have imperfections and problems worth solving.