Assignment 6: Ephemeral art

Triangles

I constructed my project deep in the forest by the tennis courts on campus. The particular spot I chose is inside two parallel rows of trees, so when looking down the row it is very pretty. When the sun finally did come out, the trees gave a lot of shade but some beams came through. Everything was pretty still were I was. Although, the trees were so tall and thin they looked like pipe cleaners blowing in front of a fan. It was a calm space, with not a lot of changes. The thing that attracted me to the space, besides the beautiful hallway of tress, is the amount of movable sticks and fallen branches that were available. I went into it have a few ideas, but seeing all of those large logs it made me want to move them. There's something weirdly enticing and satisfying about moving big things.

I used a variety of sticks and logs to create my piece. First, I assembled them into a "skeleton" of my structure so I knew how big I wanted it to be. I set it so that it connected three neighboring trees. Then it was just a matter of collecting butt-loads of sticks to fill in the middle. I made sure that each one was straight and there were no knobby-bits on the ends, and this did involve smashing some against a tree like a barbarian (New favorite thing to do). The mud was sometimes helpful, but also at times a vice. It was a good cement for the bigger branches, but unfortunately swallowed up the smaller  ones. Also, there is still dirt under my nails but honestly that was expected. I had a few encounters with bugs along the way (including a very lethargic bee), and stabbed myself with the sticks a few times on accident. Since it had just rained, a lot of the wood fell apart in my hands instantly as I picked it up, which at times was a let down and quite gross.

As I was working I felt like I had slipped into a trance in a way. I just kept working and looking for sticks so much that time passed quickly and I didn't even notice how hungry or sore I was until Jess mentioned that she was. I worked instinctively, fitting sticks in the places I felt that they would belong best. It was a really refreshing experience.

The finished piece is probably the largest sculpture I've ever made. It fits on the forest floor like a carpet. It blends in almost seamlessly with the floor around it but under further inspection it is a geometric puzzle. Triangles hold a significant role in my art lately. I like their ability to be sharp and crystalline, but also how simple and whole they are. Two points connected is just a line, but three points make a shape. They're visually pleasing to me, and it was fun to take what I incorporate in my digital art into a natural setting.

At this point in my life, it's not a big deal to me to know my art will perish. I've done big drawings with chalk outside and watched it slowly fade away. The way this piece is set up, being floor bound, I doubt it will disperse too far. However, if it does, I can accept that. I put in around four hours of hard work into making it, but I know that it isn't a waste as long as I enjoyed the experience. My labors are not in vain because it was incredible to make, and there's a small possibility someone will find it and suspect aliens or witchcraft, and that's always fun.

-Avery Violet