Molly Jo Burke & Nathan Gorgen

Lavatorium, 2022
Box Elder, poplar, ash, ceramic tile, glass, mirror, beads, polystyrene, plywood, grout, mortar, borosilicate, acrylic paint, glue, Kerdi band, found objects

Statement: The bathroom is a space everyone uses, fulfilling many functions - a receptacle for waste, a way to refresh our bodies, a place to store self care items. The physical space of the room also showcases status depending on aesthetic choices utilized throughout.

We renovated our bathroom after the birth of our second child, out of necessity as the walls were crumbling from water damage. We loved the vintage qualities of the original room which had not been updated since the 50s, terrazzo linoleum with glitter inlay, sky blue tile, chrome faucets, and we salvaged many of the materials, utilizing them in our artmaking. Our practice is one that focuses on intersections - professional roles and domestic roles overlap, influencing one another, creating a visual narrative within our artmaking. After this year of forced togetherness those boundaries seem especially blurry.

For this project we are unfurling the physical space of a room full of our aesthetic choices - but choices that were restrained by strict functionality - and we will reinterpret the fixtures as sculptures and low relief wall pieces. Products that would normally be found in the space will be incorporated throughout as reimagined forms. Continuing our practice of incorporating materials that are accumulated from our lives and environment, the final work will cover 20 linear feet of objects and fixtures reinterpreted as artworks. The installation overall is a reflection on a space that is both intimate yet functional, but what would happen if that space could reflect the convergence of our lives?

*Installation at Columbus Cultural Arts Center, featured as part of Boundary Lines group exhibition, Jan 10 - Feb 12, 2022.

documented by Sven Kahns Photography