The term “adumbration”, as associated with the work of German philosopher and father of phenomenology Edmund Husserl, refers to a shadow, or the projected appearance of an object as viewed by an observer. In the phenomenological sense, visual perception of three-dimensional space and objects can be thought of as a series of stitched together adumbrations, or two-dimensional representations of the world, that in combination allow us to cobble together a visual understanding of three-dimensionality and begin to approach the objects of the world as they “really are”.

The series of glass panels that comprise Adumbrations of a Cube give life to the notion of seeing as a series of incomplete representations. The simple geometric form of the cube is flattened and presented in keeping with the idea that the entirety of the object can never be perceived in its totality, but must be observed through interaction and/or the changing of perspective over time. And though the projection, or shadow, of the cube presented in each panel is produced through a process of flattening, the medium of glass grants the impression of depth and solidity hinting to the mental conception of the cube as a three-dimensional form.

This work aims to promote engagement with the viewer by situating them in space among the pieces and heightening awareness of not only the glass panels themselves, but their arrangement, the space they inhabit, the light interacting with the architecture and the material, and the viewer’s own embodied presence. Just as our mental concepts of an ideal object change with time, so too does the character of each glass panel as the light in the space shifts, and as the viewer circumscribes each work in an effort to create cohesive perception through a series of glimpses.

Sheet glass, aluminum, steel

10” x 10” x 71” each

2024