Process

The Five Horrors #1

(From The Five Horrors Series)
1996
Assemblage with octopus tentacle in propylene glycol
24 x 9 x 5 Inches
Collection of Richard Garriot, Austin, TX

Bronze and marble mounts hold thick pyrex tubes that contain deep hidden fears in the tradition of, Devils in Waiting (1990), Bete Noir (1995) and The Insidious Beguiler (1995) among others. This began a new trend for me of producing work within a more cohesive series. This was the first time that I kept a sculptural series within such a distinct format. All five are composed of the same materials and identical in design. Size and tentacle personality are the only distinguishing characteristics.

The bronze fixtures were pulled out of the dumpster behind the University of Texas chemistry building and, coincidentally, the thick walled Pyrex tubes were cut and blown by the nice fellow named Bob I managed to befriend who ran the glass lab in the same building. Set in the artificially distressed marble, the tubes contain deep, hidden fears in the tradition of, Devils in Waiting, Bete Noir and The Insidious Beguiler. This began a new trend for me: producing work in cohesive series with a distinct format.

What are the five horrors? Whatever you don’t want them to be. The same thing that’s in room 101 in George Orwell’s 1984. I was able to boil down all my fears into five basic categories… Huh? Sorry pal, no way.