Minna Philips
The drawing represented in Moon Bound has elements derived from the conical form. The two seemingly separate, radiating circular forms could be the two ends of a cone, or could be two separate cones. Depicted here in aerial view, the cones could also be read as circles or spheres – in particular, planets, like the Earth and the orbiting Moon. The tension that arises from the relationship between these forms subtly hints at a force that allows objects to remain in orbit, separate but connected. How does the Moon see the Earth? Like itself. Separate, but connected.
The drawing is from a series called Alternate. The Alternate Series project was inspired by the humble abode of mollusks named piddocks that are found along the California coast. The small holes that they carve out into the porous rocks along the seaside become their homes for a lifespan of eight to fourteen years. A piddock’s process of building its home reminds me of a quote by Gaston Bachelard, “One must live to build one’s house, and not build one’s house to live in.” The homes that these creatures build show a very clear trajectory of their physical growth as well as the timeframe of its existence, simply due to the fact that the home is a documentation of the process of its life. In my project, I explore the conical shape of a piddock’s home; a shape that holds the possibility of infinite expansion, but also allows truncation as a matter of course. This conical structure allows me to investigate the particular position that an immigrant occupies, which requires a constant reconstruction of the idea of home. From this position arises a paradox of comfort and discomfort, creation and destruction, action and inaction, much like the intensity of our existence and the unresolvable obscurity of our reality.
Alternate Series investigates the structure of a cone by focusing on process as the driving factor in finding derivations. By combining conical forms observed from different angles or converging variations, the series explores the possibilities hidden within a simple form. The idea that a person, or an object contains multitudes takes us back to that place of contradictions, of paradoxes, where creativity can begin to thrive and process becomes home – much like the conical homes of the humble piddock.
The Alternate Series includes further works that are intended for the lunar surface. In the work Memory, the shape of a cone is carved into a one centimeter cube. This work will be contained in Moon Gallery and is representative of a piddock’s home; it is also an absence that implies a presence; a trace of a lived experience. Sending these works – inspired by non-human homes – I intend to prompt consideration of alternative ways to inhabit the lunar surface. While imagining different ways to live on the Moon, it might be helpful to carry alternative habitation ideas from our planet, to learn from these natural hole borers to live to build, rather than to build to live in.
Memory, 1 cm cube
Minna Philips is a contemporary artist from India, living in Inglewood, California. Her works explore the nature of reality, particularly the higher dimensional theory in physics that proposes the existence of extra dimensions and branes that suggest the confinement of our universe on one of the many membranes in higher dimensions. She is also inspired by natural patterns and the in-between nature of her identity as an immigrant. Her architectural drawings explore spaces as they relate to our bodies and perception, highlighting these ideas. Minna’s works have been exhibited nationally and internationally and are in private and public collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
