Contrapposto, 2021
Recycling debris and undesirable wood is not just a means of sustainability but a means of decolonising the field of woodcarving. My approach to carving refuses to assimilate with just one ‘authentic’ method. My use of the chainsaw and the mixing of mediums is a queering of the ‘authenticity’ of the mallet and chisel which was so valued by Western woodcarving purists.
Critiquing sculptural conventions led me to the term contrapposto — the shift of the weight of the body on one foot. My playful approach to woodcarving inspired me to caricature the gesture, creating an artwork which is hula hooping the bandsaw. “Playing” brings the body back into the forefront to concentrate on the ontological experience of making.
