about

Fork, Knife or Spoon? is an interactive installation by
Julie Levesque - a sculptor based in the Boston area - that strives to create a fluid conversation among the students of Babson College and the world at large on the subject of identity.

Our terminology for self-description is so fraught with layers of self-consciousness that most people refuse to define themselves for fear of being judged.

Using silverware as the core of a light-hearted, alternate language of self-definition, Ms. Levesque initially asked her family members to choose any fork, knife or spoon that they felt represented themselves. She received immediate responses with surprising truthfulness, depth, and nuance. It unmasked a core of identity that had never been expressed to her before from people she had known her entire life.

Building on this metaphor and her past work of sibling relationships, she has created this work to connect as many people as possible using a new language that allows for a pure sense of self expression without the pitfalls of the language we commonly use.

The physical core of this work is at Babson College in Reynolds Center, Main Street, a common area where students gather. Each response created on site, as well as each response posted here (or emailed or texted) will be printed and taped to the windows of the hall. Photos will be posted and updated as the exhibit opens on October 28th until it's close on December 15, 2009.


Julie Levesque's Family Portraits (in brief)

Mom -- “Oh, I’m a salad fork. I just like to poke a little bit.”

Chuck -- “I’m a left-handed fish knife. Somewhat of a misfit, they are rare or don’t exist. Once found by the left-handed fish eater, then everything makes sense.”

Anne -- “Dinner knife, definitely. Sharp, but not usually to the point of drawing blood. Able to carve a definite path.”

Paul -- “I do identify with the escargot clamp. Some may think that it’s a uni-tasker, but I say, let your imagination reel!”

Carol -- “I want to be a fondue fork… long, elegant and understated.”

Louise -- “I chose a gigantic serving spoon. It’s big enough so I never have to say that something doesn’t fit into my life.”

Peter -- “I used to be a knife. It was a good defense mechanism, but I got hammered so much that now I’m a spoon."