Monolith
2015
The shape of this object is the exact dimensions of Stanley Kubrick’s Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. A symbol of unseen intelligence in the movie, the monolith is a mystery. The cryptic object was used to instruct intelligent life form and was deep black. Kubrick mentioned in an interview that he didn’t want the Monolith to be an, “Advanced television teaching machine…”. Indeed, it was seen as an otherworldly spiritual object that contained a wealth of knowledge. All the monoliths are black, extremely flat, non-reflective rectangular solids whose dimensions are in the precise ratio of 1: 4: 9 (the squares of the first three positive integers). These dimensions are the main source of debate about the simple external design of the monoliths. It is suggested in the novel 2001 that this number series does not stop at three dimensions.
The inerts of my Monolith consist of an assortment of West African masks. Mostly a non-precious collection of ‘empowered items’ layered unto itself. Each handmade object both foreign and familiar within the context of an African-American experience. A conglomerate of knowledge and history, veiled behind dark glass and only accessible in the most superficial way. This sculpture becomes a symbol of admiration and mystery into the past. Like a mix-tape, the power of the masks is stronger as a collection than each individual part.