Sculptural Baptismal, Saint Clare Catholic Church, Berea, Kentucky. Collaborative project with Michael A. Frasca. Textured copper, ceramic tiles, wooden form, ceramic bowl for upper pool. April 2003.

My idea for the baptismal was that the font should feel ancient, like something you might discover deep in a forest, a geometric form that had been completed covered with fallen chestnut leaves, a deep blue sky reflected in the pool. The leaves are copper and have been hammered and patinated. Hundreds of them were fitted and nailed onto a wood form that sits over a concrete substructure. The aesthetic of the church are very “truth in materials;” amidst the bare concrete floor, brick walls, and unembellished wood pews, the font sculpture is rich, organic and gemlike. This calls attention to the spiritual transformation symbolized by the ritual of baptism.

I designed the piece and made the ceramic tiles. Mike Frasca made the bowl / upper pool, and he and his studio assistant built the other elements and installed the work on site in 2003.