I find it bothersome, lazy, disingenuous when we all are typecast, pre-judged, and wrapped up and stuffed in a box. Love is varied. As are relationships. Regardless of who you pick for your partner.
Then why do we categorize, stereotype, cookie cutter gay relationships as being the same?
2017. Aluminum. Rivets. Powder coated.
We all know that love takes on many forms. And in this great country of choice and variety - why does it seem that there is a standardization of love.
Notes:
Many years ago I was working with a concept of art that changes. I was looking at one of my pieces and saw something different in it, and realized that it was I who had changed. This piece did the same - originally it was a social commentary of the standardization of love. But when I created and held this cookie cutter, it felt like something more. I wielded it as an instrument of change. Empowering me to recreate love according to my definition.
2017. Aluminum. Rivets. Powder coated.
America is great. Democracy is wonderful. But is trying to replicate America the best way to promote our values?
2017. Aluminum. Rivets. Powder coated.
The 9mm semiautomatic handgun is the overwhelmingly weapon of choice in Chicago in the last several years. Experts have cited three main reasons: 1. the increased reliability, 2. magazine capacity, 3. relative affordability.
This cookie cutter is modeled off of Smith & Wesson's styled 9mm handguns - which is Chicago's top crime gun manufacturer. Truly making it a copycat, or cookie cutter, choice for Chicago criminals.
2016. Aluminum. Rivets. Powder coated.
I present to you the weapon of choice of mass murderers in the United States. This cookie cutter is stylized after the military version (M-16) of the highly customizable AR-15.
2017. Aluminum. Rivets. Powder coated.
Whatever - the grand segue of the 21st century. The summation of American indifference, dismissal, rebuttals. And apathy. I hope we're better than this oft used, cookie cutter, phrase.
2017. Aluminum. Rivets, nuts/bolts. Painted & powder coated.
Notes:
Due to the intricacy of letters as symbols this cookie cutter is constructed of over 100 linear feet of material, weighing in at the better part of 20 lbs...and taking about 8 times longer to build than the others. Its multi-color scheme hints at the erosion of the value of knowledge, and its burdens, because answers to all are just a search away.
As my familiarity with building cookie cutters for this collection waxed I looked to challenge myself by using a more flowing, more nonchalant font off of which to template -- evoking the cavalierism the subject presupposes. Though, certain construction/assembly needs made me customize it for the sake of becoming a cookie cutter.
Hate is in the middle of whatever
While I was constructing each letter and working on how each would attach to the next, I ran across various permutations of the word. Most are familiar variations - Whatev, whateve, wha. But the most striking one to emerge was "hate." I was toying with using this in the title ("Hate is in the middle of whatever"), but even that is too leaning for whatever's intent.