The Artists

EK, "Cup of Life," 1996, 55in x 25in x 27in, bronze sculpture

The “Cup of Life” is a reflection on the complex strategy of the Holy Communion and its relationship to the human psyche – without the graces of the sacrament it is very difficult to resist grave temptations and avoid grievous sin. The top heavy, hulking male tilts his large, bulbous headpiece down towards the viewer. It is a teaming cornucopia of morphing fauna and flora, and contorted faces. Tortoises also populate the scene: a massive one lunges on top, and several are scattered around the base. Since the tortoise is a symbol of longevity, perhaps the cup of life is held by Father Time and the headdress represents the energy and massive matter of the defining our universe. The continuous morphing of these plants, animals, and faces take on an interactive quality, and place the viewer in a front row seat at the primordial ooze. The man’s solid verticalness also resembles the truck of a tree and alludes to both the trees of Knowledge and Life, and thus, the fall of man.