Theoretical Gore Point

Theoretical gore point takes its name from the insinuated impassible triangle of space where two paths merge or diverge, on what my kids call “The Big Road (the highway).” A gore, additionally, is the cartographical term for a pointed section of a flattened globe, and of course describes the gratuitous destruction of flesh. Theoretical gore point integrates interrelated meanings of the term into an art practice that has been interrupted by the whiplash of contemporary politics. Inspired by the act of mothering during these times, whimsy, play, and color infuse forms of shields, shrouds, and spears. Found and collected materials serve as a catalyst in my practice - graphic elements of etchings and physical building blocks of sculptures and installations.In theoretical gore point, prints made from a single plate explore the multiverse of solutions a found object can have as it becomes “Art.” Using a decommissioned timpani - a copper kettledrum - the goal was to extract its unknown history through prints of the object itself. Traditional intaglio prints complement themes and motifs as they emerge, specifically mapping, mothering, and memory.

Making theoretical gore point

Collaboration became an essential component of the journey from round kettledrum to complete paper sculptures over the course of 18 months. The timpani, with its dimples, blemishes and scratches from decades of use in (what I guess) a high school orchestra, was transformed into a flat printing plate reminiscent of an intaglio copperplate, by first cutting the drum into gore segments. The copper itself - hardened from years of vibrations and use - required a visit to the metalsmith to anneal the copper; which softens and submits to the hammer to become flat. Working with student printmakers, the oversized plate was printed collaboratively in unique colorways, procuring more than a dozen variable prints that became fodder for sculpture works. Finally, wax was procured from a local chandler, to complete the paper’s metamorphosis from ephemeral to everlasting.