Inheritance: Volume I

Inheritance: Volume I
Travis Wagner 2013

clay from my father's land, cheesecloth, 

thread,  and canvas straps

The accumulation of fragile layers of clay builds to form a solid mass. With an austerity that references the passive yet imposing power of minimalist sculpture, Inheritance: Volume I collects its slow accumulation of mass into a monumental presence without losing its humanly relatable scale. Inheritance: Volume I as an object exists somewhere between the realms of book and sculpture by carrying functioning attributes of both. The constant and present state of decay gives Inheritance: Volume I an ephemeral quality that calls to mind the cyclical patterns of life and death. The clay on each page ultimately breaks down and returns to the earth.

Inheritance is defined as the passing of material and non-material properties from one generation to the next. Both good and bad pass through the lineage of a bloodline. Wealth and debt, dispositions to intelligence and talent as well addiction and disease, all are bestowed from father to son. Collectively, each generation receives as birthright the debts and fortunes of their successors. Our collective inheritance includes every scientific advance, discovery and masterpiece as well as every horrific injustice, from the crusades to the holocaust to slavery, and every stop in between. Inheritance: Volume I allows for reflection on the ownership of both personal birthright and collective legacies.