All in the Same Boat :: Tong'zhou Gong'ji
同舟共济
Each figure in this project is hand sculpted, made from stoneware or porcelain
clay, kiln fired in various methods to produce a range of tones. The first 50
gathered in two symbolic clay boats on the Wellfleet Harbor. They were then
dispersed through the City of Cambridge CSA (community supported art) Program.
Each recipient of a head receives a composite image of portraits of all fifty;
this brings attention to the uniqueness of each as well as creates the feeling
of being part of a greater whole.
Rising tides, immigration, refugees, climate
change, the need to realize our common issues – the “Same Boat” metaphor evokes
many current and resonant meanings.
The second iteration was commissioned for the new lobby
of SJTU-ICCI, the Institute for Culture and Creative Industry at Shanghai
Jiaotong University in Shanghai, China. The scope of this project is 120 heads
mounted on a 4 meter long wall hung rich yellow boat, currently in the
installation phase. I have only a few snapshots so far. For this project, I
guided graduate students, staff and faculty of the college in the making of
about 1/3 of the sculptures included in this project, creating a sense of
ownership and creative community.
The title in Chinese, Tong’zhou Gong’ji , is
a traditional four character phrase (cheng’yu) that translates to all in the
same boat, with a hopeful tone of pulling together to get the other side of the
river, less ominous than the English usage. Interactive videos of birds in the sky and
rippling water will be projected above and below the boat.
One selection of
pieces was gifted to the school, another group of “travelers” came to America
with me to find new homes in future pieces. American clay and Chinese clay are
meeting, finding cultural commonalities.
In the next year, 2019, I worked with ESOL students and other non-native English speaking groups to make heads. We touched on languages of sculpture, anatomy, clay and the conversation about the commonality of humanity and the theme of working together in community. Then covid19 hit and we were indeed all in the same boat. I began to make small boats as we all were adrift in our isolation.
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| Working with ESOL students at the Cambridge Learning Center in 2019 |
The project hopes to revive in 2024 with the Chinese American Association of Cambridge and the Foundry, out new cultural venue.
