The series "off-center 1, 2, 4 & 5" explores the nuanced duality of straying from the middle ground or, symbolically, the center of a circle. A person whose unusual way of thinking, acting, dressing, or carrying his/her/ze self may be considered eccentric or favorably individualistic. Undoubtedly, the middle of the circle or norm is a poor judge of anything outside the circle.
So how to judge? Two criteria to use: do the tangential acts cause damage to the integrity of the circle (the social good) or do they do harm to the individual "acting out" in being off-center. Even when the majority judges off-center behavior as refreshing, catchy or desirable, there is the risk that the individual cannot sustain the internal balance necessary for physical or mental health.
"(O)ff-center 5" (the last in the series) adopts a centric perspective that views the abnormal or even the unusual as worthless chaff. The dominant image used in making this work was of a data cable spliced to its core in various places. Unfortunately, the center of the wire was found empty instead of filled with solid copper wire vital for transmitting data. Too late, the viewer realizes that the essence of the circle has moved or been moved to the periphery. The orange lines outside the circle have been made very tactile to support the image. In contrast, the middle of the circle is made to look like a mouth or a section of the intestine, merely a tube for important things to pass through.
