Sol Bailey Barker (B.1987)
In the praxis of my artistic endeavours, I engage in a meticulous process of sculpting, employing both traditional and contemporary techniques to fashion works that transcend mere materiality. Whether hewn from the primal solidity of wood or wrought into being from the molten embrace of steel, my sculptures assume the role of sanctified vessels, poised as conduits facilitating communion with alternate realms.
Drawing inspiration from the sacred traditions of Shinto Buddhism, where reflective surfaces serve as receptacles for spiritual presence, I imbue my creations with mirror-polished facets, inviting the intangible to manifest within their polished expanse. Through an alchemical fusion of physical labor and gestural ritual, I coax forth the latent essence of the raw material, transmuting it into vessels that beckon the unseen.
Within the crucible of my research pursuits, I embark upon a quest to uncover the universal motifs, archetypes, and ceremonial practices that bind humanity across epochs and continents. From the primordial symbology of the Tree of Life to the inundating waters of the Great Flood, I discern the interconnected narratives that weave the fabric of our collective consciousness. It is amidst the hallowed environs of sacred sites and the hushed confines of museum galleries that I seek communion with these relics of antiquity, endeavouring to distill their quintessence.
Rooted in the fertile soil of childhood introspection, my creative process is an act of symbiotic dialogue between hand and mind, wherein the ethereal shapes and forms that emerge into sculptures are conduits for the subconscious to express its ineffable truths. It is within this liminal space, where the surreal intersects with the palpable, that my sculptures take form, resonating with the transcendental echoes of a reality beyond the veil of waking consciousness.
In my artistic odyssey, I aspire to bridge the chasm between the tangible and the ineffable, transposing fragments of the numinous into the terrestrial realm. For within the liminal spaces of dreams and myths, we find ourselves united in a collective tapestry of existence, where the boundaries between self and other dissolve in the ethereal embrace of shared reverie. It is my fervent hope that through my work, I may serve as a steward of remembrance, evoking the dormant memories of our shared ancestry and our intrinsic kinship with the animate cosmos.
