MAX HORKENBACH
Paired With: John Patrick “JP” Flynn
John Patrick “J.P.” Flynn
“Losses are a part of life… It’s what you do with these losses that counts… One should not get caught up in life’s little defeats” -Senator Bill Bradley
John Patrick Flynn, or ‘J.P.’ to friends and family, was more than a dedicated student and talented athlete. He is fondly remembered for his moral character, easy-going nature, and strong work ethic. As engaged members of the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 advocacy group, his family has worked to keep his memory and forward-looking spirit strongly alive.
Inspired by the traditional Scottish funerary structure of the cairn, the image is in conversation with J.P.’s favorite quote. Through rough-cut sandstone from the nearby Corsehill Quarry, the stacked blocks emerge from the carpeted fields of the Scottish landscape. The solidity of the cairn is disrupted, cracked, and split, but only temporarily as it stretches up to meet the fiery sky. In the wake of tragedy or catastrophe, we can be left broken, but the healing of these wounds is what strengthens us. In Japanese culture, there is a practice known as kintsugi, in which damaged earthenware is repaired with gold seams holding the cracked pieces together. Kintsugi is about understanding damage and repair as part of something’s history, not a blemish to be hidden but a memento of loss and token of experience. The scar becomes unique and precious, registering the experience and strengthening through a reparative healing process.