Mary Stoppert

Ritual and Reliquaries: Horology
mixed media
16 3/16 x 20 1/8 in.

Ritual and Reliquaries: Tirettes Epuise’es
mixed media
12 x 16.75 x 1.5 in.

Having been an artist for over thirty years, this recent work has qualities and elements that speak to that experience. Educated as a sculptor, I am naturally attracted to three-dimensional form. I have collected, produced and restored objects over that time period. I have traveled to Latin America to buy and collect ethnographic objects. I cannot always explain what it is that draws me to an object, it speaks to me aesthetically and I respond.

I am especially partial to objects with a history, a patina of time and use. In this series, I part with some objects that I have had for almost forty years. It is bittersweet parting with them, but I believe I have created suitable environments for each object to continue on in a new and more exalted context.

Each piece is unique because I begin with an object and build the piece around it. I develop each reliquary as though someone else is making it for him or herself or a valued person. All objects are genuine and authentic, not reproductions. All objects are as found they have been not altered except to permit display.

A reliquary (also referred to as a shrine, chasse or monstrance) is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures. (Wikipedia)

This is my second and most current reliquary series. Each found item that I use has as its premise or inspiration, an element of measure. My fascination with devices that measure became apparent when working on ‘Tirettes Epuise’es’, the first piece in the series. My studio and wood shop is full of measuring devices, and I have watched the evolution to digital devices over the last few years. I began to look for tools and devices that could be considered a relic if not now, in the future.

© Mary Stoppert