My MFA thesis work deals with the cyclical consumption/waste of energy resources (primarily Hydrocarbon fuels) and the underlying relationships to conflict spirals and effects on contemporary culture. This project, which specifically confronts Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), consists of a series of ten sculptural bomb devices whose Active Ingredients include a combination of used-motor-oil and earth. Each sculpture also contains an embedded object that is detected and revealed through an accompanying series of X-Radiographic (X-Ray) prints.

The conception of these sculptural bombs is influenced and informed by current and historical socio-political events, scientific discoveries, and my philosophical exploration of universality. The sculptural bomb devices I create are not made from any bomb formula, though they could be viewed as actual bombs because they are made of materials that could function as an explosive. Still, these bomb devices function in the context of art as a commentary and parody of WMD in a contemporary global community while maintaining their gravity. The X-Ray images support this criticism by commenting on how X-Ray technology is the primary means of detection within our global community today. Additionally, the X-Ray images go farther by identifying the bomb's embedded object and inviting the viewer to arrive at new levels of signification beyond what the bomb's exterior alone offers.
Images: Copyright 2006 Holly Parker