Joshua

The piece pictured below has the distinction of being the heaviest piece I ever created. Heavy, that is, in terms of weight, not theological depth. It is a good example of how the physical materials of art can, on occasion, drive the concept. I purchased what was advertised on the Internet as a "prism carrier." I have no idea what that really means, but the picture looked intriguing.

When it arrived I saw that it contained 24 compartments, which led me to the Bible looking for a book with 24 chapters. The Book of Joshua fit the bill; it has 12 chapters describing events during the conquest of Canaan by the Jewish people, followed by 12 chapters describing the division of land to the 12 Tribes. Occupying the first compartments I filled were lead sinkers slightly modified so as to suggest the events in the corresponding chapters of the book. I then visited the fishing department of a local sporting store and realized that sinkers come in so many different shapes that they could easily be used to fill all of the compartments of the assemblage. The result, all 11 pounds worth, is shown below.

Joshua (2000) (14" x 14" x 2 1/2")