JACOB FOSSUM / IDLE IDOL

This collection explores what seems to be archaic values surrounding observation, worship and nature. I attempted to access a state of mind devoid of culture where the individual is the Shaman, Guru, Priest or Witch; where truth only exists as self-realization. The creation and intense observation of a still life was my way into this exploration. I chose to use the forms of rocks and a variety of packaging materials to represent an environment void of a specific culture and to induce a Shamanic-like journey through the observation of form, color and space. This journey relies heavily on the Phenomenological, Biocentric principle, also found in Buddhist and Hindu Philosophy, that our external and internal perceptions are inextricably intertwined and cannot be separated. The materials and subject matter observed were meant to represent the queer nature of the endeavor and my desire to play with questions rather than answer them. My distrust of answers is best described by Terence McKenna when talking about the pursuit of knowledge through the psychedelic journey, “It’s like building a bonfire bigger and bigger only to discover there’s an awful lot of darkness.”