Sculptures / One by One
During the early months of the pandemic, I instinctively collected abandoned traffic cone bases while walking around my neighborhood. Cleaning each piece by hand felt necessary. I felt connected to these humble, overlooked items, which evoke a resilience I recognize—their stubborn perseverance mirrors my own search for belonging as an immigrant seeking my place in this society. The materials themselves invite exploration.
Hammering dressmaker pins into the rubber surface one by one, searching for the points where the surface offered resistance, was soothing. Through continual practice, repetition became a rhythm, and the process itself became meditative.
The patterns that began to emerge, particularly the contrast between the metal pins and the black rubber, reminded me of the cedar forests in my home town in Japan during long winter months.
Traffic delineator bottom (rubber), dressmaker pins.
Photo (except detail images): Wes Magyar
