Whole

Inspired by the history of the Shot Tower at Fort Hayes, where metal was beautifully formed by gravity to create lead shot, for weapons of war, Whole brings into focus the nature of conflict, its aftermath, and its resolution. We are all indelibly marked, with parts irretrievably lost.

Viewers were invited to take a ‘Hole’ that had been punched out of each magnolia leaf (1200 in all) and fixed to the surface of a wooden disc to extend the reach of the piece outside of the gallery into the world as a keepsake, as a token to leave for others to find, or left to decay and replenish the earth. Over the next few years, I was sent images of the ‘hole’ from Whole in many locations. These photos are a few examples of where Whole was taken.

This presentation of Whole was nestled into a solo exhibition titled In the Light of Conscience, 2018. The viewer was again invited to take a disc from the trough below. When all the discs were gone, the text below was revealed. “i am grateful for you ▪ you have made me whole”