: A False Door
False doors were a common motif found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Typically carved in relief into the western wall, these doors resemble the entrances of grand temples, and are inscribed with a standard offering formula. I first encountered these doors in a poorly marked section of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and was transfixed by their geometric forms and similarities to 20th Century geometric abstraction.
It is believed today that these doors served two major purposes: as a place for offerings, and as a portal for the ka (vital essence or spirit) of the entombed to leave the tomb and venture into the underworld. The false door in this installation bears little resemblance to its Egyptian inspiration, but I believe that sacred offertory places are a nearly universal human concept.