Something is sinking in considers physical/sculptural transformation and the intimate individuation of food and cosmetics as they are assimilated, subsequently becoming the body that consumes them. Having recently lost relatives and friends to breast cancer, I have begun to question the toxicity of contemporary consumables. Carcinogenic chemicals are too often found in many common cosmetics and grooming products: benzophenone in foundation and sunscreens for example, or carbon black, a pigment used in eyeliner and mascara. Similarly, GMOs (found to create pre-cancerous growths) have been introduced into food products over the last 30 years. Such chemicals often hide amongst long lists of ingredients or are not declared at all.
This installation consists of 360 aluminium cans, each with an individual cast makeup sponge (known also as "beauty blenders") teetering atop. The sponges are caught and contorted within shower curtain rings, precariously balancing upon the metal tab of each can. The forms are cast in either wax or bronze, yet their materiality is disguised by a surface pigment, making each appear materially uniform. Only one clue to identify the bronze sponges amongst the many wax versions is provided — the individual weight of each object, which distorts the cans as they rest open.
