Existing comment:
Jill O'Bryan
one billion breaths in a lifetime
June 9 - December 7, 2015
It takes approximately 97 years to breathe a billion breaths. "Our corporeal relationship to the number one billion is experienced both intimately and politically," says artist Jill O'Bryan. "one billion breaths in a lifetime is a celebration of longevity and a life well lived, an acknowledgement of mortality, and a recognition of lives cut short. The number is a cultural signifier of excessive abundance, referring primarily to corporate earnings and fiscal budgets. Fundamentally the message is a reminder of a system that connects all life in micro and macrocosmic networks -- you complete the artwork when you walk by and see your reflection." This sculpture is based on the artist's calculation of her own breaths through a series of drawings she began in 2000 to capture time.
O'Bryan received her MFA in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute and a PhD in art theory and criticism from New York University. She is also active as a writer and divides her time between New York City and New Mexico. Her work has been on view at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis; Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New Jersey; University of Richmond Museums; and Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Esteban Vicente, Segovia, Spain. |