PORTALS

I have been working on a new series of pieces I am calling the "Portals" series. I am fascinated with the notion of metaphysical portals; the idea shows up in cultures all over the planet, in all sorts of forms. I find it to be an enduring and compelling interest that shows up in much of my work. We are all familiar with the experience of being “transported” to another place in time and space. For some, it is music which enables this shift in consciousness. For others, it may be found in the act of reading, or of dance, or climbing a mountain peak or in my case, in travel. In particular, I am drawn to the religious or spiritual idea of portals providing a passageway between the sacred and the profane, and this same interest led me to earn a Master's Degree in Religious Studies. Recent travels to largely Muslim countries have fueled that fire. I think the thing that draws me to religious/spiritual stuff is its very humanness. We are the only animals that are compelled to tell stories about ourselves, our origins, our destinations. The complexity of those stories, the differences and similarities across cultures, is fascinating. I wanted to explore the mysteries of human passage through time and space. As mortal beings with limited options we have, across many centuries and many miles, woven a story of humanness that is rich, compelling and deeply profound.
Some of these pieces are assemblages similar to others in the Katrina Collection. Others are formed around the structures of books, which are to be opened and dived into with relish. The book forms I used were sometimes made of wood, others were of cardboard and paper. They may be displayed closed,  beckoning viewers to venture inside- or they may be exhibited in their open state.