"Tongue Shadow" 2015

This piece was created after a figurative sculpture workshop taught by James Tisdale at the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, TX.

 

I had made several figurative bust pieces and wanted to see what would happen if I altered the scale a bit.  The idea of a large bust section, long neck, and tiny head was intriguing to me.  This was my first piece with the tongue sticking out of the mouth. After it was completed, the meaning of the entire piece became evident with the help of my class instructor, Diana Kersey.

 

I am a breast cancer survivor.  The intent of this piece is that the tip of the tongue casts a shadow on the bust (light source from above), marking the location of the tumor in my right breast. The large bust section denotes how, in my mind, the tumor took over my body and life, yet the tongue shows my defiance and stubbornness in fighting the cancer.

 

This piece was selected for a juried show “Ceramics 2019” at the Guilford Art Center, Guilford CT, in May 2019.