Recently I have become more aware of what is happening around me and not just to me. News from around the globe about politics, wars, aggression, etc have come to my attention. The more news I absorb, the less I want to hear. Daily reports of deaths and destruction make me want to turn my head in a sweeter direction. It is comparable to the horrific traffic accident that is impossible not to rubberneck. The refusal to know exactly what is happening when it comes to politics and war becomes even more aggravating when the government and news media spin facts for their own gain. It often seems suspicious and negligent of the whole story. Ignorance is bliss. Ice cream, as well as other confections, is a dominant feature in my work to show the sugar coating of information and how it is a comforting distraction. These are used in combination with explosives and other destructive elements that reflect terror damage in the world. I use sweet objects to reflect the cover-up, which relates to my not wanting to know everything negative about the world. Historically clay has been used primarily for food vessels and this has helped to determine what how cultures existed hundreds of years ago. Recently I have compared our culture to early Mesoamerican empires. History always has away of repeating itself. I work with clay to have a similar effect and show my interpretation of present-day history. With this rich history in mind I show my views on the contemporary events that are happening around me.
Yungbluth |