Declaration of Human Rights
Flameworked glass murrini, wood and cement
H: 43 " W: 30.5 " D: 2"
2019
"For all of us it can look like a lot of things are going wrong on so many levels and so many places around the world. I thought it was an appropriate time to look back at a social contract drawn up in 1789. La Déclaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen or what translates as the Declaration of Human Rights - is not perfect nor is it complete - but I think it is still a powerful statement that needs to be heard again.
In the French language, I reproduced the original document in a mosaic style with over 17,500 letters composed of murrini. The murrini technique originates from Roman times and has recently been revitalized. Over several months, I created each hand-made letter with Italian Moretti/Effetre glass - COE104. I used a dark red reminiscent of the colour of blood for the letters with a ivory background as contrast and to symbolize the ivory tower that freedom has to be taken from. A murrini triangle with an eye found at the top of the work represents equality and the all-seeing eye of Providence. All these letters are set into a frame that is from the late 1800’s.
This piece aims to take the ancient technique of Murinni and create one of the largest work of its kind with the text of what I believe is still one of history’s foremost expressions of human rights."
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