Artist Statement
Pagoda is part of an ongoing series entitled “Architectural Reliquaries”. This work reflects the human imprint of the architecture of the world throughout the ages. Through this series, I invite the viewer to meditate on these cultural wonders juxtaposed on the canvas of the present day. Via these sculptures I create relationships between the artwork and its environment, creating a sense of place within the community. I recently started adding bike racks to these sculptures as they work well together, creating functional art. The cast glass is one inch thick, which gives the sculpture great strength and brilliant hues. Light, passing through the glass, as well as reflected light create a feeling of depth and rich colors. Some of the cast glass is made from recycled glass from my studio, which I melt into molds. This glass is cast into an epoxy matrix. This is then set in a steel frame.
Artist Bio
Travel is her muse. Her inspiration comes directly from that. She toured Europe, Japan, North Africa, and parts of United States extensively as a saxophonist for an avant garde performance art troupe, Urban Sax. This experience was her first taste of site specific art. This travel allowed her to perform in many great architectural wonders of the world; Mont St Michel, Al Haramba, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral of New York. Her love of glass can be traced to a specific moment in time; the Chartes Cathedral of France, where she hung from the bell tower during a performance. Her love of mosaic: perhaps Barcelona, and the great muse that is Prague inspires a love of decorative arts. Her style fluctuates across centuries of muses. Currently based in Memphis, Suzy Hendrix believes in the healing power of art to bring people together at a fundamental level. She believes that art is for everyone and that everyone can be, in their own way, an artist. “I believe in the healing power of art. I believe art brings people of different walks together; together at a fundamental level. I believe that when an underprivileged child perceives beauty in his own environment, then that child will know beauty. If he does not see beauty, he knows not of the existence of beauty and art. I enjoy creating site specific art and placing them in locations in need of beauty; hospitals, public parks, temples of worship.” Suzy incorporates many different mediums into her work, including art glass, mosaic, cast glass, epoxy, steel, aluminum, and concrete. Live from Memphis video: