Making this piece became a process of remembering essential human qualities—softness
and tolerance. The book I worked with had been cut on the upper right front cover,
through the cover and several pages. I thought about the angry person whose energy went
into the destruction of so many volumes in a public library. Person: unknown — angry? —
intolerant? — uncontrollable? — scared? The quality of simply looking at the destruction
became a meditation. How does on process fear/anger/hostility? Theirs and mine. How
does tolerance play into personal choices, political choices? Thoughts about basic
humanity entered the process. With Softspot I hope to convey the belief in the soft quality
at the very core of each one of us. It is there that I find tolerance and basic vitality—a
sort of compassionate mind. I re-covered the book with soft orange material, leaving the
sliced bits out. Then using painted pages from the book, I made a chain of looping strips,
circles. I happen to think the basic vital energy of life resembles bubbles, circles, ovals,
etc. From these bubbles I attempt to make a Softspot.
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