While I was researching shrinky dink stuff I happened to stumble across this AMAZING exhibition. 
Artist statement:
"My Mother's Legacy" is a 1,000 line poem wood-burned into the bottom of 1,000 wooden bowls. On each bowl is written a line from my memory that reflects a mannerism, advice, or a remark I attribute to my mother. The bowls are piled randomly onto tables, where the viewer must pick up each bowl to read it. The act of lifting each bowl reminds me of my mother, because she had the habit of turning things over to see where they were made.
When my mother died of breast cancer in 1965 she was 47 and I was 13. Over the years, I carried around a lot of memory fragments. But I could not fit them together to fully understand who my mother had been as a person. In 1995, to commemorate the anniversary of her death, I began to write down all the things I did remember.
These are the lines that became "My Mother's Legacy". By artist Sarah Hutt
Sarah Hutt's mother...She looks like a real sassy dame!
I can't begin to describe how much I was moved by this installation. I have my degree in fine art and Sarah Hutt's work reminded me soo much of something I would do. My work always had some domestic aspect to it, whether it be a house form or an actual installation of old worn furniture. I love her artist statement, I always gag when I hear pretentious statements that go round and round and never give any explanations or are just a waste of the readers/viewers time. I was so moved by "my mother's legacy" that I sent Sarah Hutt an email letting her know(and she wrote me back). I would love to see this exhibit up close and read all the bowls. I love viewer interaction, I love that the viewer interaction for this exhibit is an action that her mother did in life. I love that she burned the words on the bowls...Like burning ones memories in their minds. I love that there are soo many bowls...One thing I learned from art school is that there is power in numbers. I am also just moved by the sadness that she lost her mother at such a young age. "My Mother's Legacy" is sad and beautiful at the same time.
Artist statement:"My Mother's Legacy" is a 1,000 line poem wood-burned into the bottom of 1,000 wooden bowls. On each bowl is written a line from my memory that reflects a mannerism, advice, or a remark I attribute to my mother. The bowls are piled randomly onto tables, where the viewer must pick up each bowl to read it. The act of lifting each bowl reminds me of my mother, because she had the habit of turning things over to see where they were made.
When my mother died of breast cancer in 1965 she was 47 and I was 13. Over the years, I carried around a lot of memory fragments. But I could not fit them together to fully understand who my mother had been as a person. In 1995, to commemorate the anniversary of her death, I began to write down all the things I did remember.
These are the lines that became "My Mother's Legacy". By artist Sarah Hutt
Sarah Hutt's mother...She looks like a real sassy dame!
This is absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing your discovery.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this! I'm going to have to find out more about this artist - what an amazing idea.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you so much for being a crafty housewife who doesn't make me gag. You know, like the ones who love scrapbook accessories that say "eternal" and "special" all over them. I don't understand these people.