Shared View
Alva Mooses
Hello! @shaoulstudio here on week 7 day 2 of #shared view, showcasing the work of @maalva_studio. This cast cement sculpture is made from shoe soles and sculpted corn textures. It is a small but powerful object. It is formally playful, recalling a car tire, a donut, a toy, but conceptually chilling, referencing “signcutting,” a practice the U.S. Border Patrol uses to hunt the desert for walkers. In creating a home gallery for the #sharedview exhibition, I have been inspired to combine artworks not just with other artworks, but with the other intimate objects that populate my domestic life. This work felt right next to a plant with humble aspirations, a gentle companion.
'SIGN' fragment from ‘Se Entra Bailando / You Enter Dancing’ Cement casts, 2019.
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(@thekateharding here)
Week 7, Day 1 of #sharedview and I open up a carefully wrapped package to find Alva Mooses’ cement cast, a precious object, the sign of precious life and dreaming, stars on the soles of feet, steering and guiding and the punctuation of the heavens, the repository of prayers, answered and otherwise, hope made action towards the unknown ahead. This piece pierces my chest. My deepest thanks to you, Alva, for entrusting me with it for this week. I have placed it in my place of dreams, remembering and quiet, of safety and retreat.
‘SIGN’ fragment from ‘Se Entra Bailando / You Enter Dancing’
Cement casts, 2019.
From Alva Mooses:
This series of cast cement forms is made from found shoe soles and sculpted corn textures. The latex formworks used to make these cast forms were manipulated and/or combined making each piece unique.
The title of the piece makes reference to the practice of “Signcutting, also referred to as cutting for sign, a process by which U.S. Border Patrol agents hunt the desert for walkers”
- Luis Alberto Urrea
“Sign is the physical evidence of any disturbance of the environment left behind by animals, humans or objects.”
- Jose J. Soto
Please see my previous post from Week 5, Day 1 on @_collectiveview_ for more information about other work and object shown.
On the left:
Gabrielle Merz
New Variant, Still 1
Digital Data Still
2021
@lee_ann3 sharing the affecting work of @maalva_studio for #sharedview // I can’t believe we are at the end, but I am glad we are closing with small #castsculpture reflecting on the #bordercrisis in our #newnormal // of the work, Alva says, “This series of cast cement forms is made from found shoe soles and sculpted corn textures. The latex formworks used to make these cast forms were manipulated and/or combined making each piece unique.” She mentioned that people use these foam-like soles so they won’t be detected as they traverse the desert on this perilous journey, so border patrol agents can’t catch them. People often fleeing violence are having to self harm again by making their steps #invisible // #abolishice // #onshow through June 2 💰@_collectiveview_ // SIGN fragment from ‘Se Entra Bailando / You Enter Dancing’ Cement cast (2019)
Hi, @maalva_studio here again for the last day of #sharedview
It has been so great learning more about each artist's practice over the past months.
I’m ending with showing one of my cement casts paired with the artwork by @thekateharding the first artist featured for Shared View, coming full circle ⭕️ ✨⭕️✨⭕️
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Artwork info:
Alva Mooses ‘SIGN' fragment from ‘Se Entra Bailando / You Enter Dancing’
Cement casts, 2019.
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Kate Harding, Untitled (Fortification 4/10/2021), ink and glitter and metallic gel pen on paper, glass, brass and silver, 1.75 x 2 inches, 2021
