Replacement Valves

The inspiration for this resin and fiberglass form comes from an image imprinted on my brain of huge chunks of glacial ice I saw washed up on a beach in Alaska. A singular “valve” became Replacement Valves when I replicated it four times for its installation at Socrates Sculpture Park. The notion of this form being “in supply” interests me. The form itself refers to a human heart valve — something one hopes never to have to replace. Rather than being contained, these valves have the capacity to contain. I have fondly observed children hiding out inside them, sometimes only able to see the tips of their shoes or heads. I thank these visitors for their curious interaction and I thank others for not launching them into the East River before I had the chance to anchor them into the ground.