snake with sexual interest in own tail
Elaine Cameron-Weir

The works conflate the natural and the industrial, uniting seemingly opposing themes within a singular object. First, a six-foot-tall curved adobe wall adorned with neon sculptures immediately confronts the viewers as they enter the exhibition. The wall—Cameron-Weir’s response to the vast 14,500 square foot gallery—both divides the space and tempers the viewer’s interaction with the works within. Second, a series of hanging works entitled Snake are made of small hand cut copper “scales,” individually enameled and fastened to a length of chain metal screen. Mapped directly from the stomach

of an actual snake, the pieces are draped over beams and counterweighted with sandbags. Third, Cameron-Weir fills a stainless steel hydrotherapy tub with white sand, atop which sits a “lead jacket,” made from sheets of solid lead and steel wire. Finally, a terrazzo stone desk in two parts cut to resemble a large set of butterfly wings topped with two neon lights will continue Cameron-Weir’s interest in creating fine art objects with utilitarian value. The work includes a mortar and pestle, used to crush raw frankincense that burns above a low flame on the desk, emitting a soothing scent intended to engage the viewer on multiple sensory levels.

Elaine Cameron-Weir (b. 1985) is a Canadian artist who is primarily known for her sculptures. Classically trained in both fine art and jewelry design, Cameron-Weir belongs to a generation of young New York-based sculptors including Andra Ursuta, Borna Sammak, and Charles Harlan with a sophisticated interest in and engagement with material.