Immediate Response
While scrolling through the gallery of amazing pieces of work that he has, this one caught my attention. The way the sculpture looks like a butterfly or an angel fairy goddess was so beautiful to me. What I noticed about his work is that there seems to be a common theme where not only are his sculptures underwater, they are as if they are a part of the ocean. He uses algae and coral to make his sculpture come to life. This piece looks alive to me. You could take this piece in a couple of ways, she could seem free and happy and rejoicing a sense of freedom. Another way is maybe she’s a fallen angel wanting to be released and praying that god will take her back.
Objective Description
The Reclamation piece takes place on the ocean floor. There is a woman that is kneeling on a bed of broken rocks and stones with her back stretched out with her open palms up reaching for the surface. Her face is also looking up towards the sun with her eyes closed as if she’s praying or taking in the sun. Along her body are pieces of coral trailing from her hips all the way to her arms. Forming a wing-like appearance which is supported by the fact that they flow so beautifully in the water. As well as a long black head piece. It looks as if the head piece is weighing her head back. It looks like a the headpiece a nun would wear.
Technical Decisions
In my opinion this piece has so many ways to interpret, it just depends on what angle you view it in. If you see the sculpture straight from the front it looks like an angel like figure rejoicing. But as you keep looking around the sculpture we get more and more context. First it is in water which to me, means the feeling of isolation and feeling trapped. Another is the expression on the woman is not happy but hopeful. The hands aren’t faced out from joy but cupped as in a prayer form. Next the only piece of clothing she has on is the nun headpiece. Which to me symbolizes the hold that religion has on her. The only thing that is keeping her weighed down. Now the wing like coral looks like she is trying to fly. But nothing can fly in water. She’s trapped and she is still praying for a god to release her. As well as the symbolism of her body language, the kneeling, which has a straight connection to god and religion. My final thought is the name of the piece, reclamation, which has a couple of meanings behind it which seems to fit every single one. She’s reclaiming her right to heaven, since as a nun you dedicate your life to god, and to me it seems she a fallen angel praying to be let inside the pearly gates.
The Work in the World
The way that this piece chose to use a piece of clothing that anyone would automatically recognize is super important to the way I viewed the piece. The only thing I know about nuns is that they dedicate their lives to serve god. They sacrifice everything for this sole purpose. I always remember being in catholic class growing up. That there are ways to get into heaven, you must follow all the rules and do certain prayers everyday and be a good person and it was guaranteed you would go there when you die. Another “guarantee” was to become a nun. The juxtaposition of this angel that fell, that wasn’t allowed into heaven, is still kneeling and praying to be let in is so interesting to me. When I saw the head piece it kind of flipped a switch to wear I could see what the artist was going for.
The Story it Tells
I definitely believe this has all the signs leading up to a fallen angel who happened to be a nun. That there is no guarantee that anyone will get into heaven or if there even is a heaven. Even by the name of Reclamation not only does it mean she’s asserting her right into heaven but also reclamation has another definition which is “cultivation of waste forming under water”. Which if you think about that she is stuck under there still on her knees praying exactly where she fell, hence all the broken rocks beneath her knees. That even at the end she never lost faith and still hopes for the day he will listen.