Grotesque Mandala 1

Several years ago, I began a series called the Grotesque Mandalas. The circular ones were based on the Aztec sun calendar, which Mexican archaeologists now believe was used in ritual human sacrifice. This is why the model I have (from Mexico City) features deep
incised recesses -- they were there to catch the blood. At the same time, I was watching a colony of paper wasps build their nest between two panes of glass outside my studio, which gave me a close view of the whole grotesque process, pupae grinding their little heads around the cells as they matured. These two things opened a grotesque reasoning in my view.