Bowing to Paradox

Bowing to Paradox

Homage to Kathleen Flowers
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magnolia leaves, etched glass, chicken wishbones, wood, and metal tears – title is from a fragment in Kathleen Flowers' poem Like Blossoms Falling.

Solo exhibition at 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland, Oregon

2010

Bowing to Paradox is an exhibition that contemplates life - both the joys and the sorrows. It balances the mystery of natural phenomenon and the intricacies of the human condition. The mobile is used metaphorically to suggest the desire for equilibrium. This kinetic sculpture is in constant motion reminiscent of a living thing. Metal tears chime– dangling in front of rotating fans to elicit speckled light in the understory of a forest and a profound mourning experienced when losing a dear friend. The large tree surrounded by leaves is a figment of our imagination yet the shadow testifies to its existence. 

The poems and title to the show are by Kathllen Flowers, who died on April 12, 2009. This exhibition is dedicated to her life and legacy. She lives on through her poetry.

In the back gallery a grid of small metal combs graph an array of unique identities. A mirror made of military dog tags, a wooden comb, and a ruby red apple with two bite marks retell a hairy tale. Three scales and a place setting weigh the political, economic and social ramifications of food in the age of globalization. What is real and what is illusion?

We might call it bowing to paradox.