Smoke and Mirrors
Stephen Glueckert
Missoula, Montana
Smoke and Mirrors, 2007
Mixed media
The sculpture has two levels. One level uses the five books by Ben Klassen. Each book functions as a leg on a base in the sculpture and supports a more realistic view of the world. The second level is participatory in nature and uses carved animals as metaphors of the human experience. Like Aesop, animals provide a gentle approach and a level of humor that seems best fitted to address such a serious topic as xenophobic racism.
The contrasts Glueckert worked with in the sculptural piece are:
- Contrasting one worldview that portrays the white race as being victimized, with another worldview that portrays the reality of the dominant white culture and its impact on other cultures.
- Contrasting one worldview that is defensive and feeds off itself through threatening violence to others, with another worldview that is non-violent and seeks to find avenues of healing when differences arise.
Bio
Since the 1970s, Stephen Glueckert’s work as a visual artist has emphasized audience participation. He has participated in over 200 group and solo exhibitions in the region. He feels fortunate to have been raised in Montana and thinks that living there, to some degree, has informed his work as an artist. He also feels fortunate that he has made a livelihood in the region as an artist, art educator, and curator.
