Liver box (Nervous Systems)
Elke Finkenauer
Liver box (Nervous Systems)
Elke Finkenauer
Reference
SAS0094_004
Year
2022
Dimensions (cm)
Height: 10.5
Length: 17.5
Depth: 10.5
Length: 17.5
Depth: 10.5
Materials
Wood, resin, paint, lycra, buttons, foam, rubber
Current Location
In my studio at Glasgow Sculpture Studios
Suitable Locations for the Work
- Indoors
- On a plinth
- In a case
Background, history, commissioner of the work
‘Liver box’ is one of a series of three organic, organ-shaped box-objects (stomach, liver, pancreas) with upholstered, painted and cast interiors, collectively titled 'Nervous Systems'. The boxes were fabricated through cycles of improvisation and experimentation from 2020-2022. They were completed with the support of the Glasgow Visual Art and Craft Maker Bursary, and documented by Isobel Lutz Smith.
Thematic/contextual information
The outside of ‘Liver box’ is made of sweet chestnut. The natural wood of the organically shaped box conceals an elaborate, vibrant interior which reveals itself when the box is opened. At the time this work took shape I had been thinking about the relationship between mind and gut, and reading about cognitive science. I'm interested in the idea of "gut feelings" as informed (albeit rapid, pre-conscious) decisions, which I see as a kind of internal big-data analysis.