The Moment of Alignment (Nothing Can Protect You From a Direct Hit)
mixed media
I've been assembling this installation for the past couple days. The painting of the wood took a relatively short time, however their positioning required a little more time. When a piece is meant to discuss the subtle geometry of organic and synthetic forms, the arrangement of these forms is paramount. That wouldn't be much trouble, if the 'forms' weren't 50 pound blocks of wood. I had to sit in my trusty studio LA-Z-BOY, and consider the shape mentally rather than physically.
It really bothers me when artists will list their work as mixed media, leaving the viewer with a real disconnect between themselves and the media. So I think it important to mention that all the materials involved were found objects. The text has been engraved into a warped yet beautiful plank that was then sealed with clear acrylic medium. The sculptural object below is 4 large blocks that I assume must have been railway ties. They had previously been used in a garden and were completely rotten through. However, I cleaned as much of the disintegrated wood off as possible and sealed the ties with an latex house paint.
The engraved text reads NOTHING CAN PROTECT YOU FROM A DIRECT HIT. The text is derived from a air raid precaution notice from Toronto's Swansea neighbourhood posted during the Second World War. The specific text describes how one may construct an air raid shelter out of household materials. The last section describes how a shelter may protect one and one's family from shrapnel and collapsing material, yet ends with the final sentence "nothing can protect you from a direct hit".
I am not a fatalist, and do not want to endorse a when your time's up, your time's up mentality. However, I enjoy the tension created between an event that is told to the viewer, and another that is constructed by the viewer. Though I would like to leave some aspects to the imagination, so I won't go further into a full explanation.
Below are details and alternate angles of the installation:
