Unearthed Rhythm: Alexandra Marie

Unearthed Rhythm. Alexandra Marie

Water, Time, and the Transformation of Form

Alexandra Marie, a professional sculptor and graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, recently unveiled her latest project, Unearthed Rhythm, created in collaboration with the Art in Nature collection of the Arte Fits nonprofit foundation. This sculpture explores the movement of rain as it falls, disappears, and returns, shaping the land over time. It blends into the natural terrain, showing how water connects with the environment, transforming the surface in a fleeting moment before its presence lingers after it has gone.

A Cycle of Rain and Renewal

Marie designed this piece during a visit to Puerto Rico last summer, where she became fascinated by the island’s dynamic relationship with water. She explained that “when you get a landscape like this, it’s so fascinating and beautiful because you can really interact with it.” She recalled how the rain would feel endless before suddenly stopping, leaving behind a brief stillness as sunlight returned and transfigured the landscape into something bright, reflective, and alive. Drawn to this cycle, she became especially interested in the energy and sense of lift created by water. How, even after it disappears, the earth is still so full of it. Marie’s main goal was, “...to capture the fall, the puddling, the rise, and the growth.”

A Sneak Peek

I had the opportunity to shadow Marie over a weekend, and during that time, I was able to truly observe the love and dedication poured into her profession. It felt almost as if the workspace was alive with the energy that Marie brought. During those couple of days, I assisted with sanding down the large metallic “blobs”–Marie’s name for the aluminum puddles–and marking other components of the sculpture, such as the “drips” and metal shafts. I got a first-hand look at her sculpting world.

A Rhythmic Execution

The defining elements of Unearthed Rhythm are its aluminum drips and puddles, which emerged through a reductive process. Beginning with large metal sheets, Marie sketched each puddle before cutting them out with an angle grinder. She then carved into the metal, chiseling away excess material and softening the edges with flap discs to create a more fluid, organic finish. Following this, she would use an orbital sander to prime the metal surface, and then go over it once again with the angle grinder for the surface design of the puddles. For the drips, resin was sanded and smoothed on the tips of aluminum rods to create the desired raindrop form. After shaping, she would spray paint the resin tips to match the color of the metal. Every piece got its own treatment depending on what it was going to be exposed to. For example, she applied an enamel to the metal puddles to help them withstand extreme heat and weather. Between the sanding and cutting, it was definitely an arduous process.

Passion Behind the Process

Despite the demanding nature of this sculpture, Marie reflected in her opening speech that she found “really demanding work relaxing,” revealing a mindset that shifts labor into something almost meditative. This perspective speaks to a deeper, almost inexplicable passion that drives her practice. A passion that goes beyond technical skill and into genuine devotion. This intensity is deeply inspiring, especially for aspiring artists