Inscribed below the handle on this odd colander is Matthew 23:24: "You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!"
As every artist knows, there are times when the process becomes as important or more important than the product. I'd begun this colander without a full reason for it--the pierced form of this common kitchen object attracted me, reminding me of ancient Korean pierced ware. While carving little holes in the round form, my studio was invaded with a bothersome swarm of gnats, the only time I've had such a problem. I supposed these gnats might be a clue, so I turned to a Bible concordance and was surprised to find the verse printed above. There was Jesus, haranguing some Pharisees for not seeing the forest for the trees.
I inadvertently overfired the porcelain colander, and was disheartened upon opening the kiln. The piece was now an uneven warped oval, with bowed and rickety legs and sagging handles. All my hard work was ruined. But an insightful friend soon pointed out that the Matthew passage, and the warped colander both have something to do with keeping things in proportion. Another friend suggested that the colander, with its punctured Stars of David, looks like it went through the Holocaust. Today I keep the colander on the window sill above the kitchen sink where it filters the sunlight into Star of David patterns across the countertop. When the light hits it just right, its shadow is round. Fragile and non-functional, it reminds me of process, of priority, of the strength that is in weakness.
