Context
Wales: the land of dragons; mountains; secret paths. Journeys differ from the constrained linear paths of formal urban life. The traveller in any setting decides how to participate in a journey.
The considered eighth of the eighth of the eighth journey twists to a woodland path established, familiar. The air is warm; insects pass, too near, unnoticed; the path’s textures dance; sounds sing, sooth, enchant; the undergrowth encroaches menacing, treacherous, forbidden, unfamiliar.
Symbolism
The piece assumes the form of 8; a reflective number, pure when viewed halved or inverted. It is hollow and contains balls fixed and loose. The balls represent the pure number 0 as reasoned for 8. The sculpture’s eight is partly lifted from the ground to begin a reflection.
Within, the free ball can pass through the full internal circuit or leave at any valid opening: it represents the traveller. Some openings permit the ball to leave: others do not, representing the commuter’s decision process to participate in the journey and the ability of the commuter to see beyond the journey’s constraints if willing. The internals are dark representing the imposing nature of a necessary trip, its time constraint and burden.
Externally the features are organic representing the freedoms parallel to commuting; the external path is irregular, hidden, exposed and contoured, visible and accessible from within the journey if only the traveller were to interconnect.
The loose, free ball can rest on or beside the sculpted 8, representing the freedom of choice, expression and control latent within any traveller, exercised or not.
Wales: the land of dragons; mountains; secret paths. Journeys differ from the constrained linear paths of formal urban life. The traveller in any setting decides how to participate in a journey.
The considered eighth of the eighth of the eighth journey twists to a woodland path established, familiar. The air is warm; insects pass, too near, unnoticed; the path’s textures dance; sounds sing, sooth, enchant; the undergrowth encroaches menacing, treacherous, forbidden, unfamiliar.
Symbolism
The piece assumes the form of 8; a reflective number, pure when viewed halved or inverted. It is hollow and contains balls fixed and loose. The balls represent the pure number 0 as reasoned for 8. The sculpture’s eight is partly lifted from the ground to begin a reflection.
Within, the free ball can pass through the full internal circuit or leave at any valid opening: it represents the traveller. Some openings permit the ball to leave: others do not, representing the commuter’s decision process to participate in the journey and the ability of the commuter to see beyond the journey’s constraints if willing. The internals are dark representing the imposing nature of a necessary trip, its time constraint and burden.
Externally the features are organic representing the freedoms parallel to commuting; the external path is irregular, hidden, exposed and contoured, visible and accessible from within the journey if only the traveller were to interconnect.
The loose, free ball can rest on or beside the sculpted 8, representing the freedom of choice, expression and control latent within any traveller, exercised or not.