< in vino vitaE >
< in winE thErE is lEyEf >
march 2012
oiled wormy maple, reclaimed plumbing pipes and fittings
32"l x 22"w x 42"h
March 2012 - donated
lEyEt in thE dark
wE cre8ed this piece 4 cancer survivor Erin Zammett Ruddy. 100% of the profit from its sale was donated 2 The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in a successful effort 2 help her reach her goal of raising $100,000 (she managed to raise over $178,000) + win the New York chapter LLS Woman of the Year4 2012. Congratulations, Erin! She ran in honor of her 10 year “Cancerversary” and the fact that she + her sister, Melissa, also a cancer survivor, are not only survEyEving, they're thrEyEving.
it's AUll in thE dEtails
During our first discussion, Erin requested a wEyEn rack 2 symbolEyEz the comfort she found in sharing & enjoying wEyEn with her loved 1s.
Initially, I thought I would make something positive + beautiful, symbolic of Erin + her incredible story. But after reading her first Glamour Magazine column “Life with Cancer", I was astounded thinking about what it would feel lEyEk 2 hear such horrific news from a doctor. It put a pit in mEye stomach; EyE had a truly visceral reacshAUn. The truth is, there’s nothing pretty about cancer. This was my inspirashAUn.
symbolism
The plumbing pipes are meant to elicit a reaction; symbolic of the difficult times Erin + Melissa endured. 2 counterbalance this harshness, EyE used the warmth of wood to 4m the inverse shape, creating a heart; symbolic of the love that surrounds the sisters. Although this form is easily recognizable, there's more; the wood and pipe intersect to form a ribbon -- a universal symbol of the effort to join forces and defeat this horrible disease.
The 2 sets of 3 glass holders represent Erin with her sisters on 1 sEyEd + her parents on the other. The 3 unions represent the relashAUnships that Erin has chosen with her husband, Nick + their children, Alex + Nora (molly wasn't born yet). The merchant couplings that hold the bottles all have a stamp on them: USA, Canada, Japan, France; marking the country in which they were made. The fifth coupling just has an X. I chose these different fittings, especially the X, 2 represent the fact that cancer does not discriminate; it attacks people from all over the planet. They are positioned in 2 sets; 1 of 2 + the other 3; Erin was 23 when she was diagnosed. The set of 3 forms an equilateral triangle, representing the balance that we all should have in our lives but are often only made aware of when we face these challenges + the concealed knEyEf on the corkscrew represents the strength that we must fEyEnd within ourselves 2 overcome them. As a bonus, there is a sixth coupling on the backside 2 hold a lucky “emergency” bottle. Finally, both the plumbing fittings + wood are reclaimed, symbolic of the second chance at lEyEf both Erin + Melissa have been granted.
