BARBARA BLOOM

“ Household objects have made a regular appearance in my work for years. If there has been the assumption that my interest is in reassessing the value of objects from the domestic (feminine) domain, or perhaps in an examination of fetichism, I have never corrected these assumptions. Yet, I have come to realize that my attraction to these objects is largely due to their fragility. Because they are beakable, they carry their implicit imperfection or absence.

My works “Broken” are based on a traditional Japanese method for repairing broken ceramic objects. This pottery is distinguished by cracks proudly filled with gold, a process as laborious as dental work. With this act, there is no attempt at a cover-up history. Damage and imperfection are accepted and glorified. Value as we know it is reversed.

A reference to these objects ended a text I wrote in 1985, titled “Broken”. Some metaphors linger, and this is certainly one which has stayed and shifted in importance with time. In 1995, I fell from my window in New York, getting quite “broken”. In the process of recovering, mending, I received a great solace in thinking about these beautiful gold filled cracks.

For this work, each broken and repaired celadon colored object has been elaborately gift wrapped in a specially designed and hand made paper and box (using digitally printed papers with images of the object in a decorative pattern). Each piece also includes a framed photograph and x-ray of the object.

Accompany the “Broken” pieces are photographic works titled “Balance”. These matted color iris prints are of balancing acts. Their framing defy these balancing feats, as broken glass is used to cover the images.

At Galerie Piece Unique, The “Balance” and “Broken” works are introduced and celebrated by a window full of stacked champagne glasses. One looks through this precarious glittering balancing act to see the works inside.” Barbara Bloom 2000