Mystery

Who is good? Who is evil? In romance, why does love turn to abuse, betrayal, abandonment?
Is this a play on stage? Is it curious onlookers at a crime scene? Are gods of judgement watching life unfold from above? Who measures good and evil?

The Japanese Tsubaki (Camellia) is a symbol of death. It is never used in a Samurai's garden. Instead of dropping individual petals, the entire flower head falls off as if cut by a sword.

With the onset of the new Millennium I was making and entering many competitions, winning bigger and bigger awards at Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival and being invited to show in several countries. I always loved collage so felt comfortable taking apart and reusing portions of my own earlier pieces to create a 'collage collage remix'. If a piece can be done, it can also be undone to become more highly resolved.

Mystery is a perfect example of that freedom. At first the piece was cylindrical, a motorized structure of wood with a car windshield wiper motor allowing it to turn. Lit from inside and having a sensor operated soundtrack, the viewer could watch the figures chase through the night.

It was also delicate and unrealistic to ship. I decided to rework the piece to emphasize the sense of mystery. Who is really the bad guy? Who is the good guy? I added the flowers of death and an entire gallery of 22 onlookers. I sacrificed many earlier pieces to join this entourage. Are they judges or gawkers? Could the two figures at the edges be holding up a stage. Who is the guy leaning over the rail? Is he even alive? Mystery.