(2017) Part of a collage series nourished by legacy Encyclopedia Britannica imagery, mappings: [Homo cum per orbem divisi] considers the historical contours of man’s geographical arbitrations. In deference to its politicized Latin subtitle [Man’s world divided as follows:], the work hopes to evoke a traditional men’s club aesthetic; commentary about Man-defined boundaries; boundaries of all varieties.
Am I a fluent *Latin scholar? No, far from it; not-a-snowball’s-chance. I, like any cpu-toting 21st Centurion, can easily employ online translators to do my linguistic heavy-lifting.
But as far as the arcane subtexts go, the central imagery is framed by multiple engraved Latin mottoes to buttress a core concept of the piece: the intrinsically human need to declare and “protect” boundaries; especially via socioeconomic and geopolitical antagonisms. After all, “Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur“, ..non?!?
Materials: Archival honeycomb board, wood, paper, UV-protected matte medium, acrylic, various hardware and wiring. Dimensions: (Approx.) 55”L x 3.25”W x 51.5”H
*Thank you online **translation engines.
** Viz. Google Translate