"This one was years in the making, and went through many different stages.
The old brass font for holy water had long been a treasure, since I found it
in a junk shop. I had also acquired a piece of thick copper wire which
must have been used to support objects being chrome plated, as it had a
bubble encrustation of shiny chrome. I made flowers out of sheet lead,
very dead and droopy-looking. At first I had a plain background - the
statement of that leaden growth was enough. But after two years
of being vaguely dissatisfied with the work, and cutting the backing board into
a trapezoid rather than the original rectangle, I started applying collage
and texture to the back. Worn and sanded down, so more suggestive than
stating, it now has images redolent of orthodox churches, both Moslem and
Roman.
As with some other assemblages, this one has offended believers. That was
not my intention. The comforts of believing are to be envied, but the
results must remain open to criticism." |
