"The Seer" Installation
"The Seer"
The Seer is one element of an ongoing series of life size busts cast from a single mold of my original hand-built clay sculpture. I combine feminine and masculine facial structure and characteristics into The Seer. Although all pieces are cast from the same mold, viewers often project their own perceptions of race, gender, and personality traits onto each Seer sculpture.
Painted in layers of acrylic and oil, I use the rich palette of human skin tones, individually separating hues into variations of primary and secondary colors: red, yellow, blue, green, orange, and violet.
Installations
"The Seer" has appeared at the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery in “Within the Myth: Gendered Perceptions” and at The Conduit Gallery, Minneapolis, MN in "The Seer: Open to Question"
Karen Wilcox draws upon ancient writings, religious icons and sacred spaces to offer a dreamlike journey through feminine and masculine mythology. Within the Myth: Gendered Perceptions explores how masculine language, symbol, and myth affect our perceptions of gender.
Aloof yet compassionate, situated above eye level on six-foot high ladders, The Seers offer a collective wisdom of human experience. Visitors are encouraged to leave anonymous comments or questions addressed to The Seers in a comment book within the gallery.
The Seer is the sage, the oracle, the elder, the healer. A vessel of human experience, The Seer is open to question.
28 Prayers
Installation view, cast plaster. Overall dimensions: 50" x 30"
Each unique piece is cast by hand in a canvas form that I remove and reuse multiple times. The exterior of the forms reveals the texture and inclusions of the fabric, and the inside of each pocket is textured by rough brush strokes.
The seven-by-four grid refers to the sacred feminine, the moon cycle, and daily devotional prayer offerings. White symbolizes purity, and in some cultures infers death—the perpetual life/death cycle.
Fine Art Collection of St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN
“Muse” and “Musing” Series
“Muse” and “Musing” Series multiple wall hung sculptures
4” x 3” x 3” each, mixed medium on cast Hydrocal.
My creative process becomes ritualistic and meditative throughout the pouring, curing, and hand finishing of each piece.
Muse
I cast each Muse by hand in Hydrocal from a mold I have taken from my original clay sculpture. After several weeks of curing, I finish each piece with oil and acrylic paint. Each Muse is unique and designed to hang alone or in groupings directly on the wall or on a customized base. A selection of finishes is available. Without direct reference to specific gender or race, Muse represents individual and collective inspiration and dialog of inner wisdom. Muse has shown in several public exhibitions, most notably at "Art on the Plains XI", Plains Art Museum, Fargo, ND.
"Musing"
The white chalky surface of the Musing sculptures evokes meditation, hovering somewhere between the conscious and subconscious, or the transition between life and death. Hung randomly on the wall in a grid formation, the symbolic graphite drawings generate a silent dialog of chance associations and multiple meanings.
I have always been interested in language and how semantics influence our perceptions and behavior. I have adapted many of the Musing drawings from various historical and cultural resources. One of my main influences is The Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects by Barbara G. Walker. In her extensive analysis, Walker uncovers ancient feminine symbolism that has been usurped by patriarchy.
Animus
Animus
Cast Hydrocal, 10" x 7" x 9"
Animus (right view)
Animus (installation view)
Mixed Media, 24" x 12" x 12"
Animus (in progress)
Oil clay over wire armature
Animus (in progress)
Oil clay over wire armature
Animus (in progress)
Oil clay over wire armature