Madeline McGloin

The most sacred part of my physiological existence, in this lifetime, is the active presence of my brain and consciousness. With this in mind, I pursued the concept of constructing a beautified reliquary for my thoughts–which became realized as a human brain. Over 8 hours were dedicated to the perforation process for the aluminum sheets I used; my weapon of choice was an X-Acto knife. I took extreme care in handling the thin 24 gauge copper wire that I would sew the structure together with. My hands did not make it out without several tetanus-esque wounds and disheveled nails. To connect the center of the brain to its plinth, I used a thin aluminum tube that I further reinforced with steel wire strung through it. A thin sheet of plastic lies upon the light wood of the aforementioned plinth to enhance the reflective quality of the textured exterior. I made sure to leave space for consciousness to fill the interior, such as how a spirit inhabits the entirety of the human body.

My final product exceeded my imaginative expectations by far, and I feel as though I embodied my dreams of beautifying the pink and grey matter that stores my human experience. The human brain is often concealed, and its physical appearance is rarely on display. I materialized it in such a way that it captures and transmutes the light around it into captivating shadows and beams of light. Symbolically, this sculpture is a manifested sanctuary for my knowledge and consciousness that I regard so highly.