tower, based on the myth of Babel, directly addresses language as a power structure. Even when absent from its totality or inscribed through languages inaccessible to a reader, the strength behind ‘language’ is established. tower takes the formation of sentences, and their linguistic rules, and forms them literally into a sculptural structure. Their circuitous wrapping enables the upward propulsion of the words into architecture, though purposely tilting and wavering in ascension. Language is formed and re-formed, building upon itself into a tower. As a punctuation point, inscriptions from non-English languages are dangled from the tower top. The words “writing in stone” in Arabic, “power” in Mandarin, “language is truth” in Japanese, “the meaning of a word” in Korean, and positioned prominently in the opening, ”Heaven” in Sanskrit: all terms that reference the tower, its builders and inaccessibility through privilege.
charred lemon juice and sugar on Shoji paper, wood dowels, seared Bockingford paper, string, 396.2 x 66 cm, 2006-07
detail of charred text
view of top with charred characters
with view of Bind in back
detail of printed, charred text.
detail of printed, charred text