COPULUM (2022) (wood, variable dimensions, approx. 8′ L x 2′ H x 4′ W)

From the Latin cōpulāre, to bind or tie together, unite, join, couple; to connect.

The inherent embodiment of movement is a conundrum, sating the desire for representation, while producing a collectivity of gesture that pulls away from that very representation. Each pose infers and intimates through their activation, the sum of their actions causing a drawing back from literality to reveal something… beyond: a tangible, tactile, embodied abstraction.

Untouched, this form’s nature inclination is to lie inert, a tangled heap, brimming with potentiality. Without a guiding force, an anima, this corpus remains in stasis. However, once activated, the piece is capable of near infinite transformation. A continuously curious duet – until the spirit grows weary, leaving the Copulum to endure in its last gifted pose, a frozen monument to its last partner’s touch.

(This activation occurred at the University of Illinois – Chicago on March 4th, 2022, featuring brilliant artist/performer Erin Palovick. Still images courtesy of Inseok Choi.)