“I am inspired by the Buddhist philosophy of the interconnectedness of things. I have discovered that the arrangement of tangible objects, when exposed to a specific directional light source, can reveal other kinds of information. These shadows, when projected, create a disjunction between the traditional concept of form and content as a unified ideal, and begin to suggest other parallel phenomena existing as an illusion. The space between these two very separate realities is what continues to interest me in my work.” —Mac Adams

East West Buddha by Mac Adams was donated by the artist in 2023. This work uses light and time as part of the composition of its medium, and the two elements are as integral to the sculpture as the physical components of stone and metal. Through the positioning of the stones on metal platforms, the sculpture is designed to respond to the earth’s tilt and shift. The steel anamorphic forms respond to the sunlight revealing the shadow of a person in meditation. This time-based work becomes activated through the months of May, June, July, and part of August around 11am and 2pm every day. East West Buddha opens up thought-provoking ways of thinking about time as a component of art making. Time is something we tend to think about as degenerative when it comes to art- aging, weathering, breaking down form- but in this sculpture, time is generative, providing a glimpse at meaning that is both fleeting and dormant, always there, just waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. Like the garden that surrounds it, this work follows a cycle of seasonal change and renewal.