Brassempouy Venus

This is part of the prehistoric female figurine project that I've been work on for a few years. I recreate prehistoric nonfunctional sculpture, specifically the female figurines that dominate that repetoire, to reframe their context and material make-up. While I recreate them I acknowledge the reinterpretation that happens when we look at and hypothesize about these art works.

You can read more about the Brassempouy Venus here:http://donsmaps.com/brassempouyvenus.html 

Pendants and Chain

Going into the kiln!

Dolni Vestonice Venus (clear)

This is part of the prehistoric figurine project that I've been work on, very slowly, for a few years. I recreate prehistoric nonfunctional sculpture to reframe their context and material make-up, acknowledging the reinterpretation that happens when we look at and hypothesize about these art works.

These are my drafts to practice making the Dolni Vestonice Venus. The next two will also be in clear, until I'm ready to use limited amount of colored glass rods I have for a final version.

Apricots and Almonds

approx. quarter sized

These apricots and almonds are part of the ongoing project 'Ekel'. I use the bright colors and glossy glass surface to play with my own, and the larger community's, sense of nostalgia. 

Apricots are used in dishes like okra and stuffed grape leaves, adding a sweet and tangy flavor. Yum. 

Almond milk with crushed ice and almond pulp is a celebratory drink; my last encounter with it was at my brother's engagement party. 

Ekel (WorkInProgress)

My Middle Eastern heritage is defined by the tunes and the food; music is taught with more intent to males, while an education in cooking is directed towards the females. In an attempt to find a way of channeling my most prominent Jewish Egyptian cultural association I've sculpted glass food. Inedible, high gloss, and overly rich in color these small glass sculptures of iconic Syrian and Egyptian foodstuffs. These small sculptures lend the food an odd permanence, a nostalgic relic of a culture that is fading and assimilating. My choice to create foods that are frozen or dried speak of the distance between me and the original recipes, each food stuff is mediated by American/Brooklyn production. 

These works play with ideas of petrified and commodified culture, nostalgia, identity performance, and feminism. The projects acts as both criticism and fond memory. While the memory of 'Arab Jews' will continue to erode, the glossy sculptures and romanticized imagery will retain some the culture’s flavor. 

I used the term 'ekel', meaning food, tag to navigate to posts that are associated with this project. 

Further Notes/Proposed Foods:
Dried Apricots in glass
Shrab El Loz - almond milk - cup and glass almonds
Frozen Mulukhia and Frozen Okra - kiln cast glass
Frozen Kibbe Hamda - ground rice in meatballs -flameworked, yellow butcher foam and shrink wrapping
Arak - anise liquor - clear bottle - blow glass, cold worked + enamel label 

Prehistoric Figure, The Mask

This is part of the prehistoric figurine project that I am continuously working on. I recreate prehistoric nonfunctional sculpture to place them into a new material and context, acknowledging the reinterpretation that happens when we look at and hypothesize about these art works. 

This is a copy of a small sculpture 'mask'  from Balzi Rossi.