Inside Out, Outside In (2007)

This was a sculpture/installation done within the unit "figure". It was constructed out of wire, chicken wire, material and styrofoam balls. It's a bit of an exploration of soul vs body. This is the accompanying artist statement:

The soul: according to many religious and philosophical traditions, the soul is the self-aware essence unique to a particular living being. It is considered immortal. The body: relating to humans, it is the physical structure of the human organism that holds the gift of life. The body and the soul are in complete contrast; while one is a matter of faith, the other is the fabric of our reality. While the soul cannot be seen, people are desperate to believe it exists, to ensure their individuality and immortality. However, the body which can be seen and felt is critcized when it is different to the majority, and is slowly killed by destructive lifestyle habits.

My composition, Inside Out, Outside In, explores the value of an individuals soul in comparision to the value of their body. The two figures hang off opposite ends of the 'scale' symbolizing this debate. More specifically it looks at the worth of the individuals spirituality - their belief in something greater than the physical, material world - as opposed to the individuals fixation on their impermanet body - the vessel used to live out thier relatively short lives. The figure hanging on the left represents the soul showing what is on the inside with the material indicating that there is something underneath even though we cannot see it. The figure on the right represents the body with the markers placed where the skin would be while leaving the inside completely empty. Their position on the two sides of the scale in important to the main message of balance. I beleive that balance is crucial to every aspect of life. The figures are the same size and height in recognition of both the body and soul being of equal importance.