Red Vessel is based on a
traditional ceramic form from the Olmec culture which existed in modern-day
Mexican states of Tabasco and Veracruz. The Olmec society lasted from about
1600 BCE to around 350 BCE, when environmental factors made their villages
unlivable. The vessels were typically 18 inches high (40 cm), while my vessel
towers over most people at 7 feet (210 cm). The long tail feathers used in this
piece are made from recycled plastic, hand screen printed with images of
endangered birds and overprinted with text in indigenous languages.
Red
Vessel debuted at the Train Station Museum, Chapala, Mexico in 2022. Like
all my artwork, it is an homage to endangered birds, endangered languages and
endangered handicrafts, all of which are threatened by human-induced climate
change and relentless consumption.
