“High Palate”
2019
98 x 39 x 16.5 inches
Foam, wood, paper clay, and paint
The palate (the roof of the mouth) is an internal chamber accessible to the tongue, by way of feeling and tasting. The soft red color of the palate continues throughout the top of this anatomical “roof” extended by legs that create an inaccessible tunnel. High palate is a condition where the palate is too high that can be caused by a primordial behavior of thumb-sucking. This sculpture conjures the basic need of shelter by having viewers experience the intimate space in an architectural scale. The rough recycled paper surface references the resourcefulness in the pursuit of shelter and mobility.