ARTWORK
Sand Sculptures
I often find it relaxing to stroll along the seashore and collect odd stones, seaweed, sea-plants, sticks. During this collection process, the shape of a stone, or some plant material may ignite a spark of an idea in my mind. Of course, restricting the physical area of collection, also restricts the types of material which can be gathered. But, this restriction often leads to the imagination being stretched a little further.
Once I have enough to work with, I find a clear area and begin to construct the picture in my mind. Sometimes, something altogether different develops. The final result can be surprising, and, curiously, often tends to reflect the natural world. This 'sand sculpture' then remains intact for viewers, passers-by until the tide returns the same day and washes the materials out to sea.
The sculptures presented here were created from natural materials found at Aguamarina, La Zenia, Caba Roig beaches at Oriheula de Costa (Spain), and Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré beach, L'Île de Ré (France). What is interesting is that these creatures appear to have something 'prehistoric' to their design. Furthermore, one can imagine these animals inhabiting this sandy environment; feeding on the vegetation; and existing within their own domain, prior to the arrival of any human predators.
Once I have enough to work with, I find a clear area and begin to construct the picture in my mind. Sometimes, something altogether different develops. The final result can be surprising, and, curiously, often tends to reflect the natural world. This 'sand sculpture' then remains intact for viewers, passers-by until the tide returns the same day and washes the materials out to sea.
The sculptures presented here were created from natural materials found at Aguamarina, La Zenia, Caba Roig beaches at Oriheula de Costa (Spain), and Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré beach, L'Île de Ré (France). What is interesting is that these creatures appear to have something 'prehistoric' to their design. Furthermore, one can imagine these animals inhabiting this sandy environment; feeding on the vegetation; and existing within their own domain, prior to the arrival of any human predators.
These sculptures were displayed as part of the 'Birds, Bees and Butterflies' exhibition hosted by the Art With A Heart gallery, Altrincham, Cheshire. To view a video showcase of this work, and photography by the artist Adam Bruderer, click on this link.
Nature - Nurture
The concept of this piece grew from considering our modern ‘technological’ world – the ease of access to electronic devices, and the ease of their use which comes so readily to the modern generation. This posed the question ‘To what extent can the understanding of our world be attributed to ‘nature’ and to ‘nurture’ (?) - e.g., what is inherent – and what must be learned?
The belief is that – for survival – these two functions must operate hand-in-hand. And so, here – in this piece, there is a symbolic representation of the result of technology impacting upon the natural world – and vice-versa.
So, imagine yourself in the distant future – you are walking in a bounteous garden – the trees and bushes enclose you in a warm green cocoon. And then you see it – an abandoned computer, from a bygone age – its remaining wires finding root in the grass. This moss-covered metal box now provides a home for host of insects, arachnids. But then you look more closely and observe that each of these creatures is both biologic and electronic.... the offspring of both ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’.
For this composition, the flowers and long grasses are made out of electric wire sheath and computer fuses. The lawn, from wire scouring pads. The insects and arachnids are all created from electronic components (diodes, LEDs, capacitors, resistors, switches and micro-chips). An accompanying ‘soundscape’ was constructed from the digital recordings of everyday noises. These sounds were subsequently filtered and manipulated to reflect the busy buzzing futuristic world of the electronic mini-beasts.
The belief is that – for survival – these two functions must operate hand-in-hand. And so, here – in this piece, there is a symbolic representation of the result of technology impacting upon the natural world – and vice-versa.
So, imagine yourself in the distant future – you are walking in a bounteous garden – the trees and bushes enclose you in a warm green cocoon. And then you see it – an abandoned computer, from a bygone age – its remaining wires finding root in the grass. This moss-covered metal box now provides a home for host of insects, arachnids. But then you look more closely and observe that each of these creatures is both biologic and electronic.... the offspring of both ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’.
For this composition, the flowers and long grasses are made out of electric wire sheath and computer fuses. The lawn, from wire scouring pads. The insects and arachnids are all created from electronic components (diodes, LEDs, capacitors, resistors, switches and micro-chips). An accompanying ‘soundscape’ was constructed from the digital recordings of everyday noises. These sounds were subsequently filtered and manipulated to reflect the busy buzzing futuristic world of the electronic mini-beasts.
'Nature - Nurture' was displayed as part of the 'Transformation' exhibition hosted by the Art With A Heart gallery, Altrincham, Cheshire. To view a video showcase of the range of exhibits, click on this link.