Christ Sauter
San Antonio, Texas

I am interested in the formation of human identity by the interaction between biology and culture. This interaction is a complex web of reflexive oppositions found metaphorically in the relationships between the body, architecture, landscape, and industry.

I see myself as a miner of sorts prospecting for biology through layers of culture deposited over time. I present my finds as specifically upholstered furniture paired with models of industrial and/or geological processes. Occasionally, I carve into the environment of the gallery space, taking the idea of mining more literally, to excavate raw material for the construction of some other entity.By excavating through biological and cultural interaction, I hope to reveal the internal matrix, which is the common essence of each.

For my project at Salina, I have chosen to build a volcano from material excavated from the walls of the gallery. My interest in volcanoes (particularly those found on islands) stems from the fact that volcanoes are producers of new land. They are, in a sense, “land factories.” Because volcanoes are natural phenomenon involved in the process of construction, a process usually associated with Man and culture, they seem potent metaphors for the interaction of biology and culture mentioned above. Also, by engaging the gallery/art center/museum in such a direct way, I hope to implicate that institution within the biology/culture discourse.