Invite the Invisible
A collection of sculpture
by Addy Sechler
To invite the invisible is to know yourself better. It is a call you make to the unknown, or an understanding that you meet what is outside of you, only as quickly as you meet something relative within yourself. Meaning for all of us, there is always more to life than meets the eye. It is in our own time that we discover this invisibility is what creates the illusion of distance between the world as we know it and ourselves. That notion is what inspires the figures composing this collection of illustrative sculpture by Addy Sechler. Each face, with motifs reminiscent of medieval Christendom and its folklore, contains a spirit that carries through it the imagery and worldviews of the pre-christian, indigenous cultures of western Europe, of which diaspora and lineage the artist belongs to. The mindset from which they have approached the work is best described by Ian Mortimer in the introduction to The time traveler's guide to medieval England : a handbook for visitors to the fourteenth century, where he writes,
¹ “As soon as you start to think of the past happening (as opposed to it having happened), a new way of conceiving history becomes possible.”
In this way, the gap of time created by more than a millennia of domination over nature collapses, allowing re-identification with animism that defines the artist's personal sense of reality. The work then asserts a more literal connection across time, that these sculptures not only represent, but are living things from a forgotten, invisible past, made visible by the artist’s fractured vision, and appear as only a best representation. An attempt at connecting with what is most enduring and patient in the self as a means to exist as an integrated whole.
“While we tend to think of ourselves as only human, I have been getting to know myself as an ecosystem. One where I live deeply in my relation to the forces by which I exist and relate to all living things.”
There are few things as persistent in Addy’s life as their connection to Medieval European history and the natural world. This work is a combination of those experiences. Since childhood, both areas of life were reflected in their
Series Progress - featuring original music 2024
toys, books, travels, and dedications, creating a synergy that has carried into their daily life. It only makes sense that the confidently expressive, interpretive, style of art that Addy creates would reveal this truth. One such dedication has been an exploration of craft that led to their career in the arts. Carving, sculpting, arrow fletching, bow-making, printmaking, illustration, painting, music, fiber art, poetry, songwriting, photography, and ceramics are all practices that Addy continues to this day. The cross-influence of mediums and means of simultaneous expression are cited as the main justification for their identifiable artistic style.
It is their hope that through this work, others feel the pull of the world calling them to also come back. To feel the invitation of what is love and return the favor. There is no joy as great as meeting yourself far ahead of death, so you may rejoice and fulfill that purpose which you so desire.
Mortimer, Ian. “Welcome to Medieval England.” The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England : A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century, Touchstone, New York City, New York, 2008, p. 1.
Process
