Homunculus

Blown and Hot-Sculpted Glass, Neon, Mercury

152.5 cm x 61 cm x 30.5 cm

2023

This is a study of the human central nervous system, vertebrae, and ribcage; it is an exploration into the scaffolding of the center line of the body. The title originates from the cortical homunculus, which is an area of the brain that contains the origin and termination of the motor and sensory nerves throughout the body. In Latin, homunculus means miniature human. By inverting this section of the body, this sculpture turned into an independent, derivative life form. The glass vertebrae are threaded through the neon spinal cord, and the ribs support the weight of the piece.