glossolilia

Comment

Comment by Harry Gold on December 22, 2011 at 2:55am

Thanks Shannon,

I made this piece a couple years ago after being commissioned to do a sculpture for an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. The original sculpture, which I made in wax and foam,I then molded and recreated, casting several times over. The elephant then became employed in several pieces. The stance of it, is a reference to the zoo's and circuses which many of these animals arrive from to sanctuary. This is not a natural stance or one that is healthy to the animal, both physically and mentally. However the imagery - that of defying gravity, pain and reason, was too much not to use as an icon for both them and ourselves.

In this case, the piece is called glossolilia, which means speaking in tongues or nonsensically in a state of trance. I took that word, which I just liked from a song I heard and applied it to the absurdity of demanding these creatures to preforms such painful, foolish and arbitrary tasks for our entertainment. 

To be honest, the word and the image didn't have much to do with each other in my choices of making it. However, as the scaffolding grew out the wrecked ship, and elephant kept its grip, ever so slightly on balancing between its temptations and gravity, the word and image seemed to make some connection.

 

Comment by Shannon Blankenship on December 11, 2011 at 10:49pm

All of your work that I've looked at through your portfolio seems so detailed and stunning. I think it's interesting that you put something so heavy on top of something that looks as if it will break at any moment. Would you mind explaining this piece? I would love to know if there was a story or inspiration behind it.