In my work, I have always used familiar objects as a means of expressing emotional states

In this show, I use a natural object for the first time, a simple bulb. The first pieces in this series depict the vunderbulb, a remarkable plant that can grow and bloom without light or water. These pictures depict the bulbs thriving and ultimately declining as even such a robust plant will ultimately die. In this same show, some of the bulbs have roots in different phases of growth. Sometimes, the roots reach down to establish and strengthen a fixed place in what may be a chaotic or disordered world. The strongest roots intertwine with each other. By creating a tapestry of their own underneath the earth, the roots draw support from each other to fix strongly to their spot. These pieces celebrate the sense of rootedness that one can obtain with significant effort. In other pieces, the roots are dormant, either with potential or with no strength to press further. Thus the series of bulbs reflect various phases of life, from early life to the establishment of a rooted presence to death.

The series of seven pieces entitled “Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die” trace the path of a vunderbulb and draw on a prayer from the Jewish High Holidays. Like the prayer, these pieces reflect the uncertainty about life, who will survive, thrive or prosper, and yet connect this uncertainty to a larger whole of life’s natural order.

Please scroll down to view images from this series.

Reviews of this exhibit.

Note: Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die is part of a larger series entitled Putting Down Roots.