/Mary Pat Wager
Mary Pat Wager
Susan Stuart
STRUCTURAL CHANGE
welded steel and oil paint on canvas
40″ x 9″ x 3″
2020
Assemblage artist, Mary Pat Wager and painter, Susan Stuart did this collaborative work during COVID. As “older” artists, we followed the mandated guidelines and relied on phone calls, texting, and emails to plan this work. Never before had we witnessed such stress to our communities as during this pandemic. While experiencing the ” Pause” and the “Reopening”, we would talk on the phone about what we saw as our society’s strengths and weaknesses. We both felt that it was time to reset priorities for our society and our nation. However, we did wonder whether our nation would have the courage to make the necessary structural changes. The result of this experience is this work with the title “Structural Change”.
@mpatwager
Mary Pat Wager
Dispenser
Inspired by: Laura McPhee, The Blue Lagoon
deconstructed propane tank, stanchion pipes, stainless steel, aluminum wire, silicon ore, mild steel
76″ x 16″ x 12″
2022
Dispenser reminds us of a PEZ dispenser designed to make it fun and easy to deliver sweet candy. One of the original Pez dispensers was designed to resemble a lighter, fueling the addictive behavior of smoking and in this case, eating sweet candy. Here the sculpture, Dispenser is dispensing Silicon – a naturally occurring raw element from the earth. Once smelted it is formed into a beautiful ingot and used as a release agent for the many products we consume in today’s world, making our lives easier. Products such as hair shampoos, conditioners, frozen juices, and toothpaste. Although beautiful in its appearance, it is the bi-product of draining the earth of its natural resources and shows the symbiotic and complex relationship between the environment, technology, and humans in today’s world.
@mpatwager
Mary Pat Wager
Cascade
deconstructed tank, cast stainless steel, farm implement, steel
22 1/4″ x 14″ x 8″
2021
Constantly changing technology has made most traditional farm implements obsolete. These continuous changes have greatly influenced agrarian life. The sculpture, CASCADE exhibits that ever-changing cycle of movement and change.
@mpatwager