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Altar
Mary
Coyne’s
wax-encrusted sculptures are a metaphor
for emotion and memory. In this installation,
she conflates a mother’s devotion for
her children with Mary’s for Jesus.
At the upper left of the main sculptural
form, a robed figure, reminiscent of statues
of the Virgin, is enveloped by the surrounding
candles, flowers, and ribbons—all coated
with white wax. Below, white and pink satin
extends to the floor, more akin to feminine
or bridal attire than an altar frontal.
Wax-covered nosegays of flowers and bows
are scattered over the satin and throughout
the space. Situated in the museum’s
early sixteenth-century French chapel, Altar
Mary alludes to acts of private devotion
and recalls Roman Catholic shrines dedicated
to Mary.
Coyne’s installation
commemorates the Irish Catholic women
who immigrated to urban centers such as
Detroit in the late nineteenth century
and the sacrifices they made for the good
of their families and their children’s
future. In the repetition of form, the
abundance of bouquets, and the allusion
to celebratory or votive candles, Coyne
honors her ancestors.
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