Seed
2018
160cm (width) × x 160cm (depth) x 160cm (height)
160cm (width) × x 160cm (depth) x 160cm (height)
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Concept & Design
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It all started with the notion of the membrane separating the inner and outer space. As well as seeds and seed pods, I started looking at the bubbles. Bubbles form 120-degree angles where three bubble walls meet because it's the most efficient way to minimize total surface area, driven by surface tension, which acts like a stretched elastic skin
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Unlike the previous sculptures where I was looking for the light, airy, delicate and almost weightless feel, this one doesn’t have the look-through-holes and I want it to feel solid and dense. It is a Seed, full of life potential, not an empty husk.
I know that no matter how much I try; there will be the inevitable gaps between the clay tiles and the empty space inside will be visible. I don’t want to create solid wall (like concrete) and grout the tiles on… I still need to be able to move the sculpture without the heavy machinery, so in looking for other options I started thinking about LED lights.
Not long ago I attended the “show and tell” by company called Light Applications which have designed lighting for many public art installations. I was intrigued and inspired to include (if possible) some lights in my work….and so the idea of the LED light “travelling” through the gaps in the tiles, reminiscent of the neurons firing in the brain, started to take shape…
I know that no matter how much I try; there will be the inevitable gaps between the clay tiles and the empty space inside will be visible. I don’t want to create solid wall (like concrete) and grout the tiles on… I still need to be able to move the sculpture without the heavy machinery, so in looking for other options I started thinking about LED lights.
Not long ago I attended the “show and tell” by company called Light Applications which have designed lighting for many public art installations. I was intrigued and inspired to include (if possible) some lights in my work….and so the idea of the LED light “travelling” through the gaps in the tiles, reminiscent of the neurons firing in the brain, started to take shape…
Construction
Starting point is similar to the previous work: clay model, plaster mould, tiles making and frame welding.
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I have to share the image of the lava glaze surprise when I opened the kiln full of glazed tiles: |
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There are couple of big – and quite obvious - changes here in comparison to the previous sculptures: the addition of acrylic panels and LED lights. Unfortunately, the way that I have designed and made the metal frame is very suitable for my ceramics, but not necessarily for acrylics and LED’s. The problem is that I haven’t fully considered attachments of those elements at the planning stage, so now I have to, kind of, retro-fit them.When I began exploring the integration of lighting technology into my sculptural practice, I quickly realized I was entering unfamiliar territory. Electricity, LED programming, battery capacities, energy systems—it was all foreign language to me. I knew I faced a steep learning curve.
A friend mentioned that her son was working on a similar project at All Saints' College and suggested I speak with him. She also shared my project with his teacher, and I learned that the school was interested in real-world collaborative opportunities.
At the meeting with the teachers, I discovered that All Saints' College has two programs that aligned perfectly with my needs: HotHouse, an incubation environment where experimental ideas are given the resources to develop fully, and Propeller, the college's hub for innovation. The partnership made immediate sense.
The collaboration allowed students to apply their skills to a living artwork while I gained the technical knowledge I needed. It became a genuine exchange where education, innovation, and creative practice converged to mutual benefit.
Installation
On site at Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe.
With Robert's help the lights are installed and working, and with Emma's help the tiles are bolted in place. It really would not be possible without all the help from the family
With Robert's help the lights are installed and working, and with Emma's help the tiles are bolted in place. It really would not be possible without all the help from the family
They seem to be growing bigger every year:
