“Bottle Tree”
Mentor 1
Glen Williams
Start Date
16-4-2021 12:00 AM
Description
This project is a re-examination of the bottle tree as a reference to African American cultural identity stemming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola traditions. This sculptural tree is a physical manifestation of the collective stories and parallel histories that were carried forth by Africans of the transatlantic slave trade. This work examines the power of tradition as a psychological mechanism to sustain one’s cultural distinctiveness. Throughout the fabrication process we utilized Mig and Tig welding to construct the steel and aluminum tree structure as well as the hanging bottles, pots and pans.
“Bottle Tree”
This project is a re-examination of the bottle tree as a reference to African American cultural identity stemming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola traditions. This sculptural tree is a physical manifestation of the collective stories and parallel histories that were carried forth by Africans of the transatlantic slave trade. This work examines the power of tradition as a psychological mechanism to sustain one’s cultural distinctiveness. Throughout the fabrication process we utilized Mig and Tig welding to construct the steel and aluminum tree structure as well as the hanging bottles, pots and pans.
