Page 62 - JohnMcQueenFolio

2013
“One recently completed installation, Same Difference is composed of three pieces, including an intricately woven and knotted elephant shape that represents Ganesh the Indian god of wisdom and learning contrasted with an old and dear bonsai skeleton, majestic in its delicate miniature stature, and a water pump, a tool of the modern industrial age. The disparities offer obvious questions. How could all of these seemingly unrelated elements share similar qualities? At first, they seem randomly chosen, thrown together for a surprising and humorous presenta- tion, typical of McQueen’s work. However, digging deeper, one realizes similarities. All three of these elements draw in at bottom and expire at the top, feeding something, whether it is a god feeding the human spirit, or a human-engineered system, drawing water to keep the founda- tion below it dry and solid. The flow in each one is an integral part of their whole. Viewers are invited to consider these ideas and more starting with the title of the work as their first clue.”
Marcia Young and Rebecca Georgia , “John McQueen: Perfection in Imperfection,” Fiber Art Now, Winter 2014.