With This Ring I Thee Wed

"With This Ring I Thee Wed" takes inspiration from ancient rituals of commitment, union, and sacrifice, embodied within a handmade V-shaped box frame. This work explores the complex relationships between love, loss, and spiritual initiation, veiled in an ominous aesthetic.

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At its foundation are two inverted plaster casts of my footprints, marking presence, identity, and past journeys. In occult practices, foot positioning signifies initiation, while inversion suggests a turning away from tradition. Above them, 12 apothecary jars filled with quartz amplify themes of transformation, cosmic cycles, and spiritual attainment. The number 12, tied to cosmic order, reflects the passage of time and completion of cycles.

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Triangles, both upright and inverted, structure the composition, symbolizing balance, duality, and conflict. A lace triangle, crafted from a former lover’s lace, represents intimacy and memory, bridging the physical past with the emotional and spiritual. Below, black and white stones rest within triangular backings, invoking Masonic and alchemical opposites—creation and destruction, life and death—reinforcing the inherent tensions within relationships.

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Three cat skulls—two black, one white—occupy distinct triangular quadrants, aligning with the themes of mystery, control, and ambivalence. Cats, often linked to the occult, symbolize independence and the unknown. My personal dislike for them informs their unsettling presence, reflecting the aspects of relationships that remain beyond our control. The central white skull, unpainted, suggests something untainted amid the darker shadows of memory.

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A ring crafted from my own hair, interwoven with strands from former lovers and cats, hovers over an inverted silver-leaf triangle. Rings symbolize unity and eternity, while hair, imbued with personal energy, binds the past to the present. This talisman becomes a reflection on cycles of love, loss, and permanence—echoing the phrase, With this ring I thee wed.

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The reflective silver leaf, like a mirror, invites the viewer into the work, encouraging self-examination and subconscious recognition. Silver, tied to lunar symbolism, represents intuition and the passage between seen and unseen realms. The contrast of upright and inverted triangles deepens the dialogue between action and surrender, structure and fluidity.

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This piece serves as a veiled self-portrait—fragile like lace, yet enduring like quartz. It examines the bonds we form, the sacrifices we make, and the inevitability of imbalance and mortality. Through layered symbols and personal relics, the work challenges the viewer to consider not only what has been committed to, but also what has been lost.