Resolution

Based on a poem by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes which was originally written in 2018. Click the button to read the poem, or scroll down to read the artist statement for the sculpture.

Screen printed paper, glue, pie tin

2023

Artist Statement

This piece is based on a poem by my mother (Michelle Heidenrich Barnes), called “Resolution.” The poem employs food-related imagery, such as scent, flavor, chewing, and swallowing, as well as a theme of roundness, reflecting on the cyclical nature of time. The inside of the pie tin also has the poem written on the bottom, introducing a new eating theme—that of “eating your words.” The pie as a symbol unites all of these themes, as well as drawing on baking as a symbol of domesticity commonly associated with women, especially wives/mothers.

Art and writing are significant ways I connect with my mother, but pie, baking, and the kitchen in general are also important ways that I connect with my mother and grandmother (something I imagine many other people can relate to).

The domestic image of the pie elicits nostalgia, further relating to the cyclical nature of time. And as the main theme of the poem is being present and not letting time “swallow you whole,” the pie also reminds the viewer what it feels like to be peaceful and present, since domestic tasks such as baking can often be a good way to slow down and relax. Another good way to stay present is by eating with loved ones, and a pie works well to represent that theme too, because it implies sharing. Pies are made for multiple people, and are usually seen in context with the holidays and family time. Finally, the deep red filling of the pie looks like fruit, but could also be mistaken for something darker (i.e. blood/a heart), representing the deep connection I have with my mother, as well as “blood” meaning “family.”