Angela Reider

Since You’ve Been Gone

In Astronomy, zenith is the term used to describe the point on the celestial sphere directly above an observer on Earth. Each individual’s zenith is unique as two people cannot occupy the same space simultaneously. It is a way to ground yourself on Terra Firma while connecting to the stars above, and to something larger than oneself. A way to pause the dizzying, continual motion of a spinning Earth for an instant to capture a moment in time.   

Since You’ve Been Gone chronicles my zenith over a span of time through constellation positions relating to impactful events that have occurred in my life. Each fragment represents a moment I long to share with my mother: The birth of the namesake granddaughter whom she will never meet. The day I became joined to another underneath a rushing waterfall. The passing of our beloved Pa, who always said she was his favorite, knowing it was wrong to have a favorite child, but speaking his truth regardless. The year I floundered. The year I flourished. The time I traipsed through verdant jungle to find the most magnificent, shimmering obsidian beach.   

Through the creation of this intimate, data-driven universe I am granted what has been deprived: I transcend time, space, and logic to communicate all that has transpired in her absence.  

Folded mica contours mimic connections of space-time curvature and remind us that we are constantly being pulled forward by expansive forces larger than ourselves; even if we wish to linger, the energy and momentum of our surrounding matter does not acquiesce. Depending on the light, materiality of my sculpture allows for reflection of what is behind us, reveals what is present, and offers a glimpse of what lies beyond- symbolizing the inseverable connections between our past, present, and future.