Fireplug Cross

The piece uses the dual meaning of the cross to illustrate that we both worship technological advances which are also burdens. The size and orientation of the work carved from a split tree evokes awe. The cross, as a symbol of Worship, is a familiar concept but we also refer to burdens in our lives as crosses to bear. By making a fire hydrant into a cross, I am taking a part of our modern life demonstrating that it, like everything, has a cost. We are so caught up in our technology, boasting of its time saving attributes while we are actually busier than ever. The cost of technology is money and the cost of money is time. We seem to think we are proactive, but our current technological advances are often solutions to problems caused by our previous technological advances. Not to mention that creating these advances and maintaining them comes at a high cost. There are many costs involved in having operational fire hydrants: making them, installing them, maintaining them, and training people to use them. For this cost, some of our time and labor must be surrendered. We must recognize how modern living has a higher cost than we realize and that we might want to reconsider our worship of it.