Aggregations
2018 granite
Commissioned by Oregon Arts Commission for University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.
Six granite cubes were engraved with texts by U of O graduates, two of which were written specifically for the artwork. The blocks were then broken into consecutively smaller and smaller pieces and set around the around the campus’s central roundabout. The resulting compositions create 6 moments for gathering and reflection.
Foreground stone: Translation from Sahaptin language of the Yakima People –”We were given life to take care of everything on this earth.” – Dr. Virginia Beavert (Yakama Nation Elder, Sahaptin Language Teacher at the University of Oregon, member of the Yakama Nation, a highly respected teacher and fluent speaker of native languages. This quote written in the Ichishkiin language for specifically for this artwork)
“Truth, acceptance of the truth, is a shattering experience. It shatters the binding shroud of culture trance. It rips apart smugness, arrogance, superiority, and self-importance. Truth, inwardly accepted, humbling truth, makes one vulnerable. You can't be right, self-righteous, and truthful at the same time.” – Dr. Paula Gunn Allen (from her book Off the Reservation: Reflections on Boundary-busting Border-crossing Loose Canons”, Boston, Mass. : Beacon Press)
“Disturbances made by minority groups are the constant attempts towards a real cooperation in the body politic.” – Mabel Janet Byrd (U of O’s first African-American student in 1917, from a speech she gave at the “Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom International Congress Reports". 6th Congress 1929, Report of the Sixth Congress of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Prague)
“What if loving something means you should mostly feel frustrated and thwarted? And then a little ruined, too, by the pursuit?” -Chang-rae Lee (from his novel “On Such a Full Sea”)
“We would contend that this unrest, seeming confusion, borderline violence, high emotional tone, multitude of views and attitudes being displayed on this terrace are the real wares of democracy.” - Spencer Block (Editor and contributor, REACT publication of the Association for Creative Thought and Communication (ACT III), March 3 1966 commenting on issue of student activists tabling outside the fishbowl at the EMU during that tumultuous time on campus)
Students helped with the breaking process.
32-block composition
“And in the spaces between your thoughts, there was room for mine.” - Pallavi Webb, (U of O Student, written in 2017 for the artwork)