Monique Castiaux
As an artist, I have always been interested by the thin edge between the beautiful and the hideous, the personal and the public, the future and the past. I often give chance the leading role in starting a new body of work. An image, an object, even a line will capture my attention and I will explore its possibilities. I place a lot of importance on the physical and textural properties inherent to the materials I use.
My current work started from an image I saw in a newspaper of workers in a Belgian rubber plantation at the beginning of the 20th century. I did not know until I came to United States how brutal Belgium had been as a colonial power. Through this work, I hope to show both the dignity of the human race and its horrific treatment of its own, then and now. With this series, I am moving into a more public sphere than usual. Somehow, these ceramic bottles seem a good vehicle for my thoughts.
In a parallel body of work, I am exploring the issue of family history and the impact of childhood experiences on one’s life.
