Ryan Moffett
RYAN MOFFETT
Synaptic Gap 2014
ceramic, wire
Courtesy of the Artist
After the artist’s diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis he said, “I felt somewhat trapped inside my brain. I understood there to be a small gap between nerves through which an electrical signal was transferred. With MS, the signal was not being transferred at full strength and felt empty to me, as if the signals were not relaying at all.”
This piece represents a look inside the brain: the jail-like wires not only hold up the top of the head but represent a feeling of being confined and helpless.
When have you felt helpless? What did you do to help yourself? Did you have help from others?
Synaptic Gap 2014
ceramic, wire
Courtesy of the Artist
After the artist’s diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis he said, “I felt somewhat trapped inside my brain. I understood there to be a small gap between nerves through which an electrical signal was transferred. With MS, the signal was not being transferred at full strength and felt empty to me, as if the signals were not relaying at all.”
This piece represents a look inside the brain: the jail-like wires not only hold up the top of the head but represent a feeling of being confined and helpless.
When have you felt helpless? What did you do to help yourself? Did you have help from others?
RYAN MOFFETT
Cervical Demyelination 2015
ceramic, electrical hardware
Courtesy of the Artist
The cervical vertebrae are vertebrae of the neck. The myelin sheath is the protective coating around your nerves—it acts similarly to the protective coating around electrical cords. Notice the electrical cord with the damaged coating in this piece; it represents damaged nerves in the body. With Multiple Sclerosis, the immune system eats the myelin sheath around the nerves and causes lesions.
In what ways have you felt “damaged” in your life? Who do you reach out to in times of need?
Cervical Demyelination 2015
ceramic, electrical hardware
Courtesy of the Artist
The cervical vertebrae are vertebrae of the neck. The myelin sheath is the protective coating around your nerves—it acts similarly to the protective coating around electrical cords. Notice the electrical cord with the damaged coating in this piece; it represents damaged nerves in the body. With Multiple Sclerosis, the immune system eats the myelin sheath around the nerves and causes lesions.
In what ways have you felt “damaged” in your life? Who do you reach out to in times of need?
RYAN MOFFETT
Dizzy in a Wheelchair 2015
ceramic, wood, wheelchair wheel
Courtesy of the Artist
For Moffett, an unexpected medical diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis was not only scary, but literally dizzying. This work represents that experience and the fear of an unstable future.
Think of a time when you received life-changing news. How did you feel in that moment? What has helped you to readjust since then?
Dizzy in a Wheelchair 2015
ceramic, wood, wheelchair wheel
Courtesy of the Artist
For Moffett, an unexpected medical diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis was not only scary, but literally dizzying. This work represents that experience and the fear of an unstable future.
Think of a time when you received life-changing news. How did you feel in that moment? What has helped you to readjust since then?
RYAN MOFFETT
Thoughts on the Infinite 2016
ceramic, led light, mirror
Courtesy of the Artist
In times of hardship, peace comes during special moments of understanding through meditation, study, and prayer. Moffett says, “When I look at the stars and think how there is no end, my finite, earthly mind is comforted with the reassurance that there is more.” The mirrors in this work symbolize that thought by reflecting light in a seemingly infinite direction.
Thoughts on the Infinite 2016
ceramic, led light, mirror
Courtesy of the Artist
In times of hardship, peace comes during special moments of understanding through meditation, study, and prayer. Moffett says, “When I look at the stars and think how there is no end, my finite, earthly mind is comforted with the reassurance that there is more.” The mirrors in this work symbolize that thought by reflecting light in a seemingly infinite direction.
RYAN MOFFETT
Starts in the Heart 2016
ceramic, wire, marble, led lighting
Courtesy of the Artist
How do you know when you’ve received an answer to a burning question? For Moffett, it is a special moment that begins as a feeling in the heart, traveling to the brain where it becomes knowledge. This knowledge becomes a cherished memory and provides hope and comfort in times of doubt.
Starts in the Heart 2016
ceramic, wire, marble, led lighting
Courtesy of the Artist
How do you know when you’ve received an answer to a burning question? For Moffett, it is a special moment that begins as a feeling in the heart, traveling to the brain where it becomes knowledge. This knowledge becomes a cherished memory and provides hope and comfort in times of doubt.
RYAN MOFFETT
Unplugged 2015
ceramic, electrical hardware
Courtesy of the Artist
Sometimes the logic in our brain conflicts with the emotions of the heart. The heart wants to do one thing and the brain says “no.” This could be anything from falling in love to simply getting out of bed. It can cause feelings of frustration and emptiness when the deepest desires of our heart are not realized. As a person with Multiple Sclerosis, Moffett’s frustration comes from the damage to his nerves which cause the signals to and from the brain to be weakened and not transmit correctly.
When was a time you felt frustrated? How did you find a solution?
Unplugged 2015
ceramic, electrical hardware
Courtesy of the Artist
Sometimes the logic in our brain conflicts with the emotions of the heart. The heart wants to do one thing and the brain says “no.” This could be anything from falling in love to simply getting out of bed. It can cause feelings of frustration and emptiness when the deepest desires of our heart are not realized. As a person with Multiple Sclerosis, Moffett’s frustration comes from the damage to his nerves which cause the signals to and from the brain to be weakened and not transmit correctly.
When was a time you felt frustrated? How did you find a solution?
Slideshow: