Ardent Totems
By Tom Wachunas
“My ideas are
based on goals of healing, educating and problem-solving. I translate these
goals into interactive art, where visitors play an active role in the life
cycle of the work.” – artist Melissa Daubert, from her web site: www.melissadaubert.com
EXHIBIT: Devoted: New Work by Melissa Daubert, at
Translations Art Gallery, 331 Cleveland Avenue NW, downtown Canton, THROUGH
AUGUST 31 www.translationsart.com View works at
www.translationsart.com/gallery/devoted
After looking at
this exhibit for about 20 minutes on my first fly-by, the initial observation
that I scrawled on my note pad was simply ‘this time it’s really personal.’ To the artist, no question. But I needed to
remind myself to stay focused on just
how remarkably resonant Melissa Daubert’s site-specific (sight-specific?) installation is with my own sensibilities as an
artist who loves God deeply.
This is not to say
that the exhibit comprehensively embraces or espouses any specific religion. What
the show does evoke is a sense of
religiosity – indeed, a compelling spirituality – as implied in the idea of
‘devotion.’ So yes, there are some overtly theological references. Devoted to Krishna: 108 Gopis, for
example, is a brightly colored collection of 108 Gopi figurines (“cow-herd”
girls) made of painted cow dung.
In general,
though, the exhibit is an immersive, interactive presentation (some of the
pieces have moving parts which viewers can activate) of various human
proclivities which on one level might seem like mundane routines. But by placing
them in the “devoted to…” context, Daubert lets us reconsider the actions and
tasks she illustrates – such as caring for a beloved pet, cleaning the house,
farming or mowing the lawn, to name only some - as paths toward a more elevated
attitude about “ordinary” societal
engagements.
Daubert’s forms of
people and animals are pared down to an archetypal kind of simplicity. Her raw
materials are a modest means to an edifying end. Coconut hair, wood, and wire
are assembled with a loving exactitude that conveys a domestic charm and
humility while at the same time exuding a primal, ritualistic air.
Particularly effective in delivering the ethos
of devotions acknowledged in this show is Devoted
To Our Pets: Bhuda. A lanky cat (with jiggling tail) stands in the center
of a circle of bricks on the floor strewn with used insulin needles – 1,717 of
them. Dauber explains in her
accompanying comments that Budha, her cat of 18 years, was diabetic and needed
insulin twice daily. The needles are from 3,434 injections over a span of 4.7
years.
The piece reminds
me that our purest and most rewarding devotions are expressions of our unflinching loyalties and unconditional
love. And as with other pieces in the exhibit, I’m also reminded of Brother
Lawrence, a 17th century lay brother who for more than 50 years served
as a cook and sandal repairer at a Carmelite monastery in Paris. His book, The Practice of the Presence of God, was
published in 1692, and today remains a potent document of devotion’s power to
impart joy amid even the most menial labors.
In the end, Daubert’s
intriguing sculptural vignettes are intimate, totemic embodiments – narratives,
actually – of servanthood.
PHOTOS (from top):Devoted To Our Pets: Budha / Devotion
Through Posture: Kneeling / Devoted To Clean: The Mopper
I'm reminded by the samples pictured from the exhibit that, where you turn in times of trouble, there you find your object of worship. The pieces seem to embody the premise. The devotions of the devout. Fascinating...
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