Overview:
In these works, which are made using bread to varying degrees, themes of eating, survival and ritual are combined in expressive, figurative sculptures. Bread is amongst our most basic daily food sources, but is also a symbol of metamorphosis since it materially transforms with heat from the basic ingredients of flour, yeast and water. The finished form of these sculptures is due partly to chance since the dough, which is applied to a metal armature before being fired in a kiln, rises in some places and drops off in others, creating highly expressive sculptures that represent a considerable transformation of their basic material. In May - September 1991, Quinn traced around his own hand on bread many times, each time creating a slightly different shape. Installed on the wall, these perishing works form an indexical pattern of the artist's physical identity.
