"Alter Piece" (2012)

"Alter Piece" was a piece I did to create an alter in reference to child abuse. My process began by sawing out the copper floor and door. I then inscribed the wood pattern on the floor. I modeled the little girl after 1920's paper dolls. I cut them out then imprinted a lace pattern on her for the dress. I made three copies of her. I then annealed two of the figures so that I could bend them into crumbled forms. I attached the dolls with rivets. The doorknob was attached with a tubing rivet. I then used brown patina on the floor boards, door and figure. I sanded off the excess and left only the grooves darkened. I used black patina on the words in the door and the shadow on the floor.
This piece was done in reference to child abuse because guilt worships abuse. If children did not feel wrongfully guilty, they would not keep silent and enable their abusers. The words in the door say, "free  me from this guilt." I did this piece to bring a voice to all those too scared to speak out. I know a little girl who was abused, when she chose to speak out her abuser told her to, "keep skeletons in the closet where they belong." I released the dark shadows in her past. I chose to use paper dolls because dolls and childhood is a pure, innocent, two dimensional time in life. Abuse corrupts the child. Notice how the doll withers as she gets closer to the shadows grasp and the door filled with guilt.