Mend and Repair

Object Lessons: At the Wexner Center for the Arts, Maria Hupfield crafts objects which link time, place and memory by Caitlin Chaisson

- Caitlin Chaisson

THOUGH STATIC IN NATURE, Maria Hupfield's sculptures are kinetic in spirit. The mesh jerseys, boxing gloves and whistles that appear in her exhibitions give the impression of equipment used in high-intensity circuit training. Most sculpture used in performance art struggles to cast aside the designation of stage prop but, as Hupfield noted in the catalogue The One Who Keeps On Giving (2017): 'I sometimes think the object is the excuse for the interaction. As both agents and tools, Hupfield's sculptures often rest between sets on display structures built from lumber beams and plywood, with high-visibility bands of tape and paint signalling attention and demarcating potential hazards in a space of active construction.

Survival and Other Acts of Defiance (2012) is an installation that includes one of Hupfield's early performances for the camera, in which she jumps on the spot while wearing Jingle Boots (2011). The felt footwear evokes jingle dress regalia, but Hupfield's garment is an artistic innovation. As her feet come in and out of contact with the ground, the tin cones pulse, her body becoming an instrument. She appears powerful as the minutes elapse, never tiring in the video, which is looped with a seamless cut. Her beating heart, the work suggests, is defiant.