Dark Matter

Sometimes I have an idea. And then, sometimes, an idea has me: This is the way it is with Dark Matter. While sketching potential projects, I’d made an isometric line drawing of a normal rectangular cabinet in order to get a better sense of volume and proportion. I quickly became fixated on the idea of a cabinet that always looks like you’re viewing it from an angle, where you’re never quite sure of what you’re seeing.

The title “Dark Matter” has a double meaning. It references a science fiction novel about a box that exists in quantum superposition (I imagine such an object would look something like this); it’s also a comment on being indigenous and white-passing — a different sort of superposition (and one that can be quite dark).

While this cabinet will function as an altar to my grandmother (a full blood Grand River Ottawa Indian), it’s also my first experiment in a burgeoning exploration of strangely extruded forms. The construction challenges were by turns vexing and playful, and I look forward to revisiting it again in the future. For now, however, it’s given me a renewed appreciation for the simple rectangle.

Dimensions 12” x 28” x 10”