Caffeine, Joyce J. Scott

Archive Label 2003: This sculpture is about the demon of caffeine and its control of people who partake of it. Caffeine, in the guise of a blue-mouthed yellow serpent, beguiles and tempts as it rises from the Luzianne coffee can like the aroma of a freshly brewed pot of coffee. One figure straddles the caffeine demon, while another has a cup of spilling coffee instead of a head. Joyce Scott often uses humor as a device to tackle difficult social issues such as addiction, racism, incest and violence. She comes from three generations of storytellers, quilters, basket weavers, and blacksmiths and draws on that heritage in her creative process. She uses time-tried techniques - needle and thread or wire - to string the beads that make up her sculptures. Primarily known for her bead sculptures, she also works in textiles, sculpture, jewelry, printmaking, installation and performance.