Fractured

Kernerman creates sculptures of broken and shattered glass, examining her past’s fractured memory, reconstructing those memories, and recreating a new future. She uses reclaimed glass that has been tossed out, reclaimed wood, and broken mirrors, metaphorically taking the heavy weight of difficult memories from her past and powerfully choosing to create something beautiful in her future.

We usually think of glass as fragile and delicate, and broken glass as dangerous and threatening. This is just like old and upsetting memories that challenge us when we try to piece them together. However, when reassembled, those broken pieces become very strong. Assembling broken glass creates structure that refracts light like diamonds and it creates striking and endless prisms and reflections. Glass and memories intended for the garbage now become something multifaceted, malleable, safe, and wondrous.

Remembering events of the past proves very difficult. We often recall those events as disjointed fragments that appear fractured and broken. True, we can never change the past. We can, however, reframe and choose how to incorporate those memories, if at all, into our lives.

By taking fractured memory we can practice reconstructing those memories.  And in doing so, reclaim power over memories of times when we felt powerless. We can then rebuild and recreate our futures, becoming resilient, in control, and at peace.

While exploring fractured memory and reconstructing those memories, this series examines how we readily entrust supposedly caring adults with very fragile and vulnerable children. Additionally, it looks at how we have not adequately prepared our children to go out into the world. Instead, they venture forth often unaware and ill-prepared to recognize and defend themselves against “friendly” predators.