Terrasoma IX

Clay, mirror

37” x 14” x 9”

2020

Terrasoma X

Clay, mirror

30” x 13” x 10”

2020

Photos: Matthew Cronin

The creation of these works was supported by the Canada Council for the Arts

Exhibition Text for Terrasoma IX and Terrasoma X at Source Matters: 

Terrasoma IX and X are spiralling enclosures that protrude upwards from the floor. Their bodies are defined by a hollow clay structural skin, delineating an inside from an outside. They are born out of winding clay around and around itself, forming a single continuous vertical spiral. As the clay is wound, it is pressed on one side, integrating each new layer into the existing layer below. This repetitive process generates a smooth continuous spiral on one side, and a textured surface of thousands of finger-pressed indents on the other. 

Their massing channels distinct formal qualities of menhirs (Neolithic standing stones), human silhouettes, fingers, and tongues: flatter fronts and backs, curved sides, a rounded tip, dorsal and ventral qualities, and a vertical line of symmetry about a spine-like curve. 

As the spiral winds upwards, it stops just before closing in upon itself, leaving a hole at the top of each sculpture. This hole reveals the sculpture’s innards, inviting viewers to peer inwards. The bottom of the sculptures are mirrored, opening up to a vastness within a tight enclosure.