The Importance of Being Earnest, 3D collage installation, 2019
September 11, 2019
I love Oscar Wilde and his clever use of words. I added this little 1923 edition of The Importance of Being Earnest to my collection years ago. Little did I know it would become art in this 3D collage. The milk glass hands, probably from the same era, offer a delicate skull of a bird. Without careful handling, either of the two items could be easily crushed. This fragility is a reference to the environment. Everything we touch has an effect on the ecosystem, and we need to be earnest in our protection of the environment. This c. 1930’s wristwatch was never picked-up after being repaired from my grandfather’s Dependable Watch Co. shop, which was across from the World Trade Center. The watch functions as a momento mori, a reminder that we are pressed by time and that we must act to safeguard the environment and ultimately ourselves.
This is part of my exhibition ‘Milagros in My Pocketbook’ currently on view at The Fisher Gallery.