Sophia Mason
Detergent
Fabric, cotton, silk, silk embroidery
16" h x 12" w x 4" d Inches
2019
$200 (sold)
Description: A soft sculpture detergent bottle. It is a metaphor for repentance, something that in my faith I grew up trying to avoid needing to do, trying to avoid sin. But more recently it has become popular to think of repentance as a regular, normal activity, like washing one's clothes with detergent.
Artist Statement
My sculptures won’t offend your pious grandma. At least, not right away. They are soft, gentle, and recognizable, like you. You blend in, you stay quiet, and you only say what you have to around her.
You love and care for her, but your life is not for her. Neither are these sculptures. They are for post-church-goers, non-religioners, now-I-do-yoga-ers. You don’t lack respect for traditions either. These pieces are quilted with our grandmothers’ stitches. They reflect the world she built for you and sing from her hymnal. Frankly, they advertise religious traditions. They just advertise those traditions with our own disillusioned hindsight too.
Bio
Sophia Mason’s sculptures, installations, and performances have been shown in exhibitions internationally and in the United States, including The Dixon Gallery and Gardens and Crosstown Arts in Memphis, Tennessee and at the Fundacion in Comillas, Spain. Her work has hung at the Memphis International Airport and several private collections hold key works. She is the recipient of the Sally Becker Grinspan Award for Artistic Achievement from Rhodes College. Sophia Mason was raised in Madison, Wisconsin. She received her BA in Art from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN.