Groups of nineteenth century (Edo Period) fireman were divided into 48 districts. Each district used an abstract, usually white, sculptural symbol atop a long pole, to identify the site of a fire. These sym- bols, called “matoi”, were derived from their Kanji alphabet, which conveniently had 48 characters. American artist Sol Lewit worked for decades, devel- oping a sculptural vocabulary based on the cube. The glass forms in this piece were developed with a nod to Lewit’s geometric restrictions, to the romance of Japan’s tattooed acrobatic fire brigades, and to itinerant tinkers, suburban gardeners, and family dirt farmers everywhere.
The Itinerate Tinker: 2013 90” Wide X 79” High X 49” Deep, Cast Glass, Pine Plywood, Bamboo, Basswood, Maple, Oak, Poplar, Copper and String
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