Homage to Ancestors (original)

1973
Rosewood on plexiglass
50"H x 27"W x 8"D

Ancestor worship is at the root of all Vietnamese cultural life. I was impressed with the sincerity and reality of the belief among the people as they constantly paid great homage to their predecessors. When the plexiglass is hung in a large space, at roughly eye level, the effect is eerie, as your own reflection looks back while you contemplate (im)mortality. Molds made from these original pieces produced two bronze variations, one a full copy in bronze, on a copper sheet, the other consisting of the head alone, on a golden onyx slab.