I had the occasion to write about a specific piece recently, “Mother and Child” from 2006. I figured I would share it on the blog.
Size: 34” x 23”
Materials: stained glass, sandblasted, engraved, vitreous
paint, cold
paint, assembled with copperfoil and displayed in a lightbox
Exhibition history:
“Burning Inside” solo show at Claire Oliver, 2007
"Judith Schaechter, New Parables in Glass", Claire
Oliver Gallery, 2008
"Pretty is as Pretty Does", Site Santa Fe, 2009
In 2006 we are in the midst of the conflict in Iraq.
Prior to that, in the early 2000’s, I had developed a strong
interest in the American Civil War (1861-1864) and had, for several years,
confined my reading to that subject alone.
I was struck in my reading by fact that, for the most part, men
sacrifice their lives and women? Well,
women sacrifice their sons (in the Civil War, there were no female soldiers).
How heartbreaking it is.
sketch (drawing, photoshop) for the piece |
As always I was highly concerned with the female figure’s
facial expression and posture. I tried
to convey the many emotions she might feel in her position; grief, pride, hope
that her son’s death was for a worthy cause, and a sense that she must be
strong just to go forth another day.
The surrounding imagery of the red tree was also
intuitive. To me, it has come to
signify, as a plant often does, growth and life. And yet its leaves also resemble flames so
perhaps, at least visually, it hearkens its own destruction. The sun beats down on the scene in stylized
pink rays, which could be a sort of nuclear apocalyptic look or graphic
flag-like image. I wanted a color as
unnatural and alarming for the sky as I feel war is as a condition for humankind.
The border is based on the yellow plastic “caution” tape
placed around construction sites and crime scenes.
3 comments:
Thankyou for sharing this concise and illuminating insight into the thought process behind your work. This is a beautiful and poignant piece. I am repeatedly stunned at how brilliantly you skirt gratuitous decoration in your work: what a triumph!
Thanks, Nell!!!!
This is fantastic!
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