soundings

Inspired by the concept of depth sounding (using a lead weight and line to measure ocean depth), these sculptural objects reference our desire to gather information about our environment. When a sounding is taken, the line measures the depth of water, while the tallow inserted into the bottom of the lead picks up the material of the ocean floor — clay, sand, pebble and so on.

In the gallery, the weightier hanging objects connect us most immediately to the physicality of the nautical measuring tool, its gravity and intentionality. As we move through the space of the gallery, the manifestation of the objects evolves, suggesting shadows of the more literal form, as if we are viewing the weights under water.

This gradual deconstruction of the form might evoke the limitations in our ability to assess our conditions, and hopefully encourage us to plumb the depths of our understanding about “knowing” our environment, perhaps hinting that “not knowing is most intimate.”