“’When fire is applied to a stone it cracks’ is credited as an Irish proverb with no identified auth

“’When fire is applied to a stone it cracks’ is credited as an Irish proverb with no identified author. This title describes my interest in providing a different perspective for viewers when looking at historical objects within an institutional setting. I often appropriate words from found texts, song lyrics, or poetry that have impacted me and have provided guidance as I try to create a space for myself, others, and the histories that are part of my heritage. This quote is both factual and metaphorically poetic. Heat can be applied to stone either naturally or deliberately until the stone will crack and break open. Fire is symbolic in many cultures and expressions of faith, and often represents divinity, passion, destruction, and transformation. On the other hand, stone is seen as dense, heavy, solid, and static. I read ‘fire’ in this quote to describe the innovative making, use of materials, transformative techniques, and the survivalist ethic of Indigenous people Our use of new and different materials to make things that support ourselves and our communities is the 'fire’ that continues to break open the static and antiquated ideas regarding who we are and what we are capable of.“ — Jeffrey Gibson⁠Jeffrey Gibson (Choctaw/Cherokee, born 1972). WHEN FIRE IS APPLIED TO A STONE IT CRACKS, 2019. Acrylic on canvas, glass beads and artificial sinew inset into custom wood frame. Courtesy of the artist and Kavi Gupta, Chicago. © Jeffrey Gibson. (Photo: John Lusis) -- source link

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