Thomas Matsuda Purification 2001 Burnt pine Oak and Pine Grove Purification was created from logs salvaged from a local lumberyard. Nails had been found in the wood which could destroy saw blades, so the logs had been discarded. I carved the logs into sculptural forms representing people / spirits / Buddhas / mountains, and then burned them in a ritualized event held on a campus field at the University of Massachusetts. Firewood was collected, written prayers were added, and the pieces were then transformed by fire. The black, deeply charred surface creates a stark presence, meant to conjure up ideas of life, death, rebirth, and the burning away of illusions and desires- a reference to the fierce deities of Tibetan Buddhism. Purification can also be seen as a reminder of nuclear destruction, the ongoing destruction of the earth and corruption within ourselves. This piece was inspired by the Hopi Prophecy:"...sacred writing speaks the word of the Great Spirit, what shall we bring forth, purification or destruction?" List of Participating Artists

[FHET HOME] [ABOUT FOREST HILLS] [EXHIBITIONS & SCULPTURE] [CALENDAR OF EVENTS]
[EDUCATION & PRESERVATION] [CONTACT US] [DIRECTIONS & HOURS]