Attendees of this show’s opening were provided with the following instructions:

Interactive Work

I invite you to participate in this piece. To do so, select one of the clay pieces on the table beside the tank. All of these, whether immediately apparent or not, are fragments of my face, or the face of one of my loved ones. I hope that you will spend a moment with the fragment you select, taking time to consider the wrinkles, goosebumps, swells, and canyons. Consider the person. Consider the clay. When you’re ready, release your clay into one of the openings marked at the top of the tank. I hope you will linger, taking time to observe as the fragment reacts to the water, losing its identifying textures and features and returns to mud.

One Note

In planning this piece, I was cautioned that inviting audience participation might undermine the solemn/sacred aspects of the show with a ‘funhouse’ atmosphere. After careful consideration, I’ve decided such a risk is entirely appropriate. It echoes the reality of much art, and even life, in the sense that when we offer our most vulnerable and personal sides to the world, it is an act of faith and hope that the world will rise to meet us with respect and tenderness. The world does what it will. Sometime our sacred is met with the funhouse. But every so often, it is matched with the world’s own vulnerabilities, and we are able to share an experience that would be impossible in isolation. Do what you will.