Hauntology

In Hauntology, Jared Abner pays tribute to the history and memories of the artists that have influenced contemporary sculpture. The organic standing shapes of articulated wood forms maintain their equilibrium as they swirl in space. Abner has developed a craftsmanlike devotion to wood but does not lose sight of the importance of play. The materials do what they do, and Abner does his thing. Abner gets lost in the materials, finding meaning, and making art.

Abner talks about working in a wood shop in the basement when he was very young. He relies on his own histories to recognize the importance of other stories. Here is his most recent statement:
I was an annoying younger brother. My brother, with whom I shared a bunkbed, often felt the brunt of my behavior. One night in my bed, I looked above my head, and noticed constellations of small, construction-paper cut-outs scotch-taped to the old plaster ceiling of our bedroom of different objects and figures. Later in the night, when my brother tried stealthily tiptoeing through the cracked door and up the ladder to his top bunk, I asked him what the paper was for. He began telling me a story. He turned on a small flash light and aimed the light at the various pieces of paper, using them as props to his story until I fell asleep. He did this frequently for me until we had separate rooms. Each night a new story but the same shapes.