Pages

Friday, May 25, 2012

The Grass Is Greener

Part of my fascination with art is the sheer innovation, especially when it comes to materials.  As you learned in my last post, I am continually inspired by natural materials and it seems that I'm not the only one.  As our environment continues to be a hot topic in society, the use of nature in art is becoming more prevalent.  One trend I find most intriguing is the use of grass, manipulated and sculpted in intriguing ways.  These are not your typical english garden topiaries!


Take for instance this sinking sculpture, entitled "Mud Maid" by Sue and Peter Hill. They use grass in its normal form and environment to create a surreal earthly sculpture in an unexpected location.


This grassy car photo is actually a postcard I received some years ago. While I'm unfamiliar with the story, I do know that it was a photo taken by Stanislav Tuma in 1978 and has since become an integral part of Beetle iconography. And apparently, there are now lots of grassy cars out there as you'll find by doing a quick google search.


One of the most interesting concepts I've seen thus far with grass, is its use as a live portrait.  As you see above, the grass portrait grows with age and creates a beautiful mirror to the natural life cycle.  You can find more of the works on the artists' online portfolio, Ackroyd and Harvey.


More interesting is when the art has a strong statement behind it.  Artist, Mathilde Roussell, wanted to work in soil and wheat grass seeds to show that food we plant in our bodies makes an impact on all of our organs.  She believes this exhibit of living grass human sculptures makes us aware of food cycles in every form.  This collection was displayed in 2010 in Brooklyn's Invisible Dog Gallery.



The intent with my "Miniature Gardens" pieces of  Wearable Art is to create both an aesthetically pleasing and magical sense. I enjoy creating something natural to hold close to your heart.  With the Crystal Garden Pendant, the fluorite is strongly grounded in the moss, which can be a great representation of your strength or commitment. With the Miniature Amethyst Garden Earrings, you can also have a beautiful reminder of all things whimsical and novel.  You can find the rest of my Garden Collection here.

What are your thoughts on the use of grass in art?

3 comments:

Jon said...

Your pieces have always been incredible and gorgeous Pauletta. It is great to be ever inspired to create out of nothing with all sorts of new variations on materials and approach. I especially enjoyed the grass "postcards" you featured in your blog. In a recent project, I picked up on the novelty and clever use of railroad shipping containers to use in a "public" park setting. many of the 40-goot-long containers were placed throughout the park and served practical and aesthetic purposes. They housed restroom facilities, park maintenance equipment, etc. There were solid, vibrant colors on some, with night lighting further emphasizing the colors. Some were used as mural foundations. Some created barriers on either end of a multi-function sports field, and the sides facing away from the field featured vertical waterfalls that sound and visual beauty. Lastly, and most appropriate to your blog, some were allowed to be "overgrown" with plant life to create giant, garden hedge-like sculptures. So much occurs around us to inspire and lead to creative manifestation.

Kristen said...

The interesting thing about grass is it does indeed go with everything! Great examples of grass in art including your wonderful pieces!

Pauletta said...

The only thing t doesn't go well with are white pants. (Grass stains are a bummer!)