“Counting The Seconds”

40" wide X 60" deep X 30" high. Silk, Fiberglass, Propane Torch, Branding Tools, 500 pnd. paper

Artist Statement

When I was on fire, I gritted my teeth, I dug in, and held on. Every second was eternity but I knew that all I had to do was survive. I did. And with the passage of time, I not only survived it, I became triumphant..

Tally marks on the female form represent each second that I spent aflame uncertain of my fate. This piece, an upright torso, manifests the dignity and triumph that accompanied my will to survive. The standing figure is pure, resolute.

The etchings become both scars and tellers of a defiant, rebellious spirit. Counting the seconds allowed for my survival, and it allowed for my courage to persevere once my body and life had been transformed forever. With time, I found light through the darkness. Love returned. My femininity returned. My life was restored in a way I could never have dreamed possible.

“Counting the Seconds” honors the moments in life when we endure because there is no other way, and usually no better way, to reach unheard of miracles. 

Allison Massari