I don't consider myself a religious person, but I have a profound connection to these processional statues. For the last seven years, as a way to support my work as an artist, I have been operating a small business that restores statuary for churches, including this type of lightweight, portable saint. It is strange and wonderful work - painting Jesus’ toenails, reattaching angels’ ears, repairing broken heavens – the metaphorical accomplishments alone are rewarding.
Additionally, it allows me a connection to my family’s history as church restoration contractors in Baltimore, as well as to the unnamed artists who originally made the glorious objects in front of me. But until very recently, the work I do in the saint repair industry has, with very few exceptions, been completely separate from that of my own studio practice; one is my job and the other is my work. The two enterprises ran parallel, in the same physical space, with little or no overlap. But lately, I find myself turning what appears to be a significant corner. The processes and materials involved in the statue work have been playing an increasingly important part in the evolution of my own ideas, and a new potential trajectory has been emerging, which is incredibly exciting. This project offers the opportunity to incorporate not only the materials and processes of these objects into secular sculpture, but also to incorporate the forms and traditions of these festivals into an art event.
