Mother

2011

Recycled wood jewelry box, satin, photograph, metal, lace, cardboard, wood carved figure, string, twigs, wood, metal, nails, moss.

24” ht. x 7” width x 8.5” depth

 

Susan Hazard

Shrines

Mother (Rear)

2011

 

Mother (Detail)

2011

 

Water

2011

Wood box, plastic, feathers, metal ring shanks, electrical wire, glass vials, metal door hardware, metal jewelry findings, stone, feathers, marble, carved wood figure.

27” ht. x 8” width x 4” depth

Water (detail)

2011

Wood box, plastic, feathers, metal ring shanks, electrical wire, glass vials, metal door hardware, metal jewelry findings, stone, feathers, marble, carved wood figure.

Water (detail)

2011

Wood box, plastic, feathers, metal ring shanks, electrical wire, glass vials, metal door hardware, metal jewelry findings, stone, feathers, marble, carved wood figure.

The vintage photograph of the young man inspired this shrine to “Mother.” This is her memory box, filled with the few precious items left after her son emigrated to a far away country. The moss symbolizes maternity; nails are self-sacrifice and pain,; lace is her wedding gown; gold rings are precious commitments; the photo of the blackbird is symbolic of the black sheep of the family: “Bye- bye blackbird, goodbye.”

A shrine to water. Water is symbolized by the color (green and turquoise feathers, beads, marble); the spilling droplets of silvery water (rings and globes); the glass vials. The color silver is reinforced through the shrine pedestal, and the jewelry objects. The roundness of the water drops is reflected in the marble, the silver globe, the circles in the metal hardware. The aridity of absent water is symbolized by the feathers and the stone.  Most classically, the camel untruthfully stores water in its humps. This is homage to the fluidity of water and legends.