Boxes

Artist Statement

In this ongoing series I use small organic items like insects and dried flowers as centerpieces, placing them in glass boxes. The process of aging and decaying over time allows the piece to evolve and have its own lifecycle. The push and pull of simultaneously preserving and destroying something precious is what holds the fascination of using these elements for me. I often source my materials from walks through the park or cemetery where I think deeply about my work and our place in nature. Embracing the funerary theme, I try to treat these relics with respect and honor their preciousness. This series is a memoriam to these objects and puts the concept of Death on display.

Coming from a secular point of view, I’m interested in analyzing the cultural and historical evolution of belief as tied in with world-view. Rather than taking part in that belief system myself, I analyze it as an outsider. I’m interested in the correlation between archetypes and the cultural unconscious; how within contexts like religious belief, mythology and art history certain materials, colors and concepts carry deeper meaning. There is universality in Death, and in this series I try to understand that “Truth” by delving into the symbolism of objects and motifs.

- Cristina Ferrigno 2017