Jacob's Vision in the California Desert, (left, right and top views), 2005
Wood, Acrylic, Sand, and Photographs 24 x 24 x 8 inches
In the Biblical account of Jacob’s dream he saw a stairway reaching up to the heavens, and from the top God spoke to him and promised to give him the land where he was sleeping. In the sculpture I re-imagine the story taking place in the desert of California. But the sculpture leaves the question open: who does Jacob represent in the story of California? California is represented in three ways in the sculpture. First, it is represented in a literal way through the desert sand glued on one side of the stairs. The second representation is the satellite map of the location where the sand was collected. And third, one side of the stairs is covered with still frames from the TV show Death Valley Days.
