Mary Dixon

Once I had seen a beautiful wall sculpture that had so astonished me, I stared at it, transfixed, for some time. I noted the extraordinary simplicity and sensitivity of the composition; the presence of one with a sure eye and a careful hand was implied. Mystified as to this artist’s marvelous technique, I moved in for a closer inspection. To my amazement, I discovered the “sculpture” to simply be a jacket hanging on a hook in a hallway. I laughed at myself then, but was, at the same time, disappointed to have this thing of mysterious beauty returned to common stuff.

I have thought of that incident many times since then, realizing that it was about the inherent beauty of materials and a way of seeing.

This experience may well have inspired, and certainly describes my method of working with found materials today. The piece I’m submitting to the 2009 CHAIR AFFAIR is titled: “SEA-CURUS”, which means “free from care”. It represents a conduit where Life, like a powerful ocean current, flows down the course of our years. What is caught, remains… to reveal what was found…precious.

Mary Dixon, a Mt.Tabor artist, has a BFA in sculpture from PNCA, and is an instructor for PNCA’s SMARTWORKS children’s program.