Lamentation

Lamentation is a mixed media sculpture of cast aluminum and fabric that was the centerpiece of a solo exhibition of works entitled Reflections on the Human Condition at the Al and Helen Hurwitz Gallery in Frederick, MD, November 4, 2023 - March 23, 2024. The title and inspiration for this work are drawn from Martha Graham’s iconic 1930 modern dance solo that Anna Kisselgoff of the New York Times described as “not the sorrow of specific person, time or place but the personification of grief itself.” The sculpture is an abstract and dynamic representation of the human emotion of grief with multiple parts—hands and feet--cast in metal combined with flowing fabric shrouding faceless and profound, visceral pain.

The materiality of the metal represents the groundedness and strength of the human spirit, and the fabric the dynamic connective tissue of emotion. The goal is to resonate with viewers in reflection upon the present human condition, relevant to much of what has been happening in our world today with disease, natural disasters, civil unrest, war and mass killings.

The creation of this work has been made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Frederick Arts Council.

84”h x 60”w x 60”d

2023