We lose our teeth naturally; that loss reminds us of how we are growing, changing, and aging. When teeth are chipped, they don’t heal. Teeth are impermanent, and yet the strength of the enamel is enough for them to remain long after the rest of the body has decayed. Even after severe fires, teeth can be used to identify bodies otherwise unrecognizable. Wear patterns can give evidence of one's lifestyle and geographical location. A piece of us—a tiny piece, albeit—that holds our identity. 

Sculpting on a small scale reveals their intricacies: the details that make each individual tooth unique. By slightly altering the scale I wanted to give the viewer feeling of uneasiness while maintaining the qualities of a real human tooth so that there is no disconnect between the object and reality. I included cavities to emphasize teeth as a symbol of our mortality, a reminder that our physical bodies will eventually decay. I cast multiples to convey the greater importance teeth hold as vessels to carry our identities past death. The display is a nod to how we treated cavity ridden teeth in the past. Barbers would perform tooth extractions and advertise the service by stringing up teeth in shop windows or on the walls.