RUINS

Ruins | 6 x 5 x 6.5 in | Air-dry clay, wet soil, acrylic paint, weeds, plastic container, black slate, grape stem

Sculpted & painted gesturally to show decay; used plant matter to realistically portray the natural

Inquiry (1200 Characters)

My investigation was guided by the question "How can I show nature merging with the human-made?" In this piece, I aimed to show an instance when nature overtakes & reclaims the human-made. To achieve this, I used the overgrown, dilapidated ruins of a Bagan-inspired temple as the subject.

I practiced different compositions in pre-planning to clearly & interestingly communicate the idea of the piece. Along with this, I narrowed down the options, & revised them by borrowing elements or merging.

I wondered if I could create an environment in a very limited space, so I experimented with materials & sculpting technique. My goal was to be as realistic & detailed as possible. So, I used clay, a material susceptible to decay, to mimic mud bricks. I used plants to add realism & convey the idea of overgrowth. When sculpting, I tried to emulate natural erosion by arbitrarily removing chunks, adding crumbling details, & sprinkling soil on the statue.

I tried using a dark plastic container as the vessel for the piece thinking it would complement the piece. Instead, it gave the piece a pre-made, incohesive look, so I revised & roughly coated the outer layer with clay.