The Ambiguous Family, completed

This sculpture represents a family.

               

The idea for this sculpture started with my involvement with the gay rights movement here in Utah and the legislation that attempted to define what a ‘family’ was and was not.  Specifically, I wanted to represent a group with ambiguous genders in a defensive posture.  What better way to demonstrate a family under siege than to use a material that has been battered, worn, and discarded . . . like hoods from wrecked trucks?

The fascinating thing about this project is that the more I talked to people about it, the more I saw how everyone on both sides of this issue felt like their concept of family was being attacked.  How interesting is it that we’re all at each others’ throats even when we have the same basic joys and fears?


To see the process of creating this sculpture, look here:


Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7






This sculpture is part of the Lawn Gnomes Eat Your Hearts Out exhibit through the Salt Lake Art Center.  See more information about bus, bike, and walking tours here:


http://www.slartcenter.org/?page_id=249

 . . . and a Google map of all the sculptures across SLC here:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=202526600326316503418.0004a13b990f61e4bf3c8&ll=40.665535,-111.868286&spn=0.250003,0.439453&z=11&source=embed

To hear the artists talk about their work, call 801-349-3498 and enter the number of the sculpture (the Ambiguous Family is 212).  Each sculpture has a sign by it explaining this process.