Breeds, sculpture proposal

Statement:

This sculpture proposal involves questions of form, materiality, temporality and transformation. It intends to form a parallel between the adaptation and transformation of social structures and the transformations and cycles seen in the behaviour of herbs, as they tend to adapt to every kind of soil.

The decision to use bricks as the main material in this sculpture is a based on the fact that most of London’s Architectural heritage is made of bricks. Bricks have also been used in music and literature as a metaphor for standardization, social control. The other kind of brick, which will be produced especially for this sculpture, is an attempt to transcend control and nurture transformation. They will be made of organic materials, including soil and pressed weeds and herbs.

Chris Burden has a sculptural piece made of concrete bags and left outdoors. He intended it to become wet, making the concrete harden and eventually the bags that contained the concrete deteriorated. I am interested in the idea of abandoning control of certain steps of the making in my practice and leaving space for slower processes to take over. Also, by working with unpredictable materials I intend to join the viewer in contemplating what the sculpture can transform into.

Concerning the form, I have been developing several models and smaller sculptures that were inspired by geometric shapes in nature. This is an opportunity to transport those formal configurations to another scale and introduce nature directly into the composition.

I proposed a sculpture that does not stand for control or any other kind of violence. I am seeking art that allows time to act upon it; perhaps reminding the viewer to slow down and away from the anxieties of our times. By proposing this piece, I propose a celebration, contemplation and acceptance of transformation.

Description:

The proposed sculpture will be a metaphor for migration and social transformation in London. Initially shaped as an oval “fort” made of bricks and weeds, it will behave as a live being and, therefore, will transform in time and change according to the seasons. Although it is not this sculpture’s intention to be controlled, it’s possible to predict three main phases in its lifetime. In phase 1 there will be a composition of regular clay bricks and special bricks made of weeds. The shape will be attained by placing oval layers of bricks alternately and In phase 2, during spring, the special bricks will blossom into weeds and start transforming the shape of the structure. In phase 3, by the end of summer (2016), most of the special bricks are expected to have grown into weeds and the remaining clay bricks will resemble the ruins of an amphitheatre. Clay Bricks (180)Will be sourced from reclaimed bricks suppliers, as locally as possible. Special Bricks (180)Will be cast from earth, seeds and weeds that can be found in London. The mixture will be approximately 50% earth and 50% compressed weeds. Total of bricks 360 (18 rows of 20 units)Dimensions: 0,2150m x 0,1025m x 0,0650m Size of the sculpture:The original shape will be 1.96 per 1.24 meters and high will be 1.23m, but could reach up to 1.60m depending on the growth of the weeds.