Consilience, 2009
Mixed media, found objects, steel
64 x 25 x 21 inches
Private Collection

This object was commissioned to commemorate a wedding. It reflects on the concept of marriage via the metaphor of consilience, a bringing together of principles from science and the humanities to form a comprehensive theory. The test tubes are filled with text representative of the two disciplines. Small vials contain soil samples from each partner’s hometown. Tucked within the drawers, out of view, are the wedding RSVPs the couple received.

The centerpiece of the cabinet is an open book, with its pages standing upright. As though washing words from the book, Bart wet and shaped each page. In this context, the blank book suggests a story yet to be written. The red plumb bob hovering above the sculpted pages points to a meeting place between two worlds.

Publication:

  • Abracadabra and Other Forms of Protection, Laura Wertheim Joseph editor and curator, Weisman Art Museum

Exhibition: