"Sentinel" is made of multiple layers of fabric that has been draped, knotted and twisted onto and around a vertical form. Appendages stick out of the top of the form in random fashion. It stands directly on the ground and is approximately 4.6 feet tall. The knotting of the material has caused it to bulge out in places creating caverns, bumps and other cavities which resemble muscles and tendons. The piece is entirely covered with paint (except for small areas where black fabric peeps through.) The poured paint travels down and around the form leaving trails and puddles in its wake. The fabric, paint and other appendages that make up "Sentinel" are all discarded materials. The form itself defies definition. At first glance it appears non-representational. However, the vertical form has a muscular, bodily quality to it. The valueless materials seem to invite touching or exploring of its surface. This sculpture is influenced by past artistic movements such as Dada and Arte Povera, which relied heavily on minimal materials that were of little or no value. However, the message conveyed is emotional, rather than political. "Sentinel" is funny and unsightly all at once. Its bright colors and muscular build cause it to come alive, like the talking trees in the Wizard of Oz.
Image: "Sentinel" stopping traffic