Joyce J. Scott

Made from a found bottle, beads, and wooden elements, this sculpture considers cultural perceptions of twins. Baltimore based artist Joyce Scott hails from a diverse background that includes African, Native American, and Scottish ancestry. The artist’s complex roots are reflected in this work, which is imbued with aesthetic and symbolic conventions of African, Native American, Mexican, and Korean cultures. In Africa twins represent good luck, whereas in Korea they are considered a bad omen. The twins in this work are skeletons, echoing Mexican Day of the Dead figures, which represent the inevitability of death. They emerge from a larger, green-beaded figure that symbolizes a life-giving maternal force. While distinct, the twins are linked together and originate from the same place. Thus the piece addresses cultural differences, while underscoring cultural interconnections.