See by Looking/Hear by Listening 1992

Richard Artschwager created this sculpture, "See by Looking/Hear by Listening", that presents objects of sight and sound within a walnut box lined with velvet. The box itself evokes a reliquary, a vessel for sacred remnants, elevating ordinary objects to a symbolic level. The eye, a smooth, milky lens, finds its echo in the ear forms. Think of the ear as a receptor, much like an open portal to the mind; recall the Greek myth of Dionysus, born from Zeus's thigh after Zeus swallowed his mother, Semele. In essence, Dionysus was gestated through Zeus's ear, symbolising rebirth and divine transmission. These sensory organs, presented almost as specimens, invite contemplation on how we perceive reality through seeing and hearing. The velvet lining absorbs light, heightening the contrast and intensifying the sensory experience. This underscores a profound tension between the visible and invisible, urging us to consider the subconscious processes that shape our perception.