Thorned is an ephemeral art piece created from natural rocks and hand-formed clay spikes. Inspired by the film Rivers and Tides featuring Andy Goldsworthy’s temporary artworks highlighting nature and its materials, this work explores the intersection of geological time and emotional vulnerability. Being made outdoors and left exposed to the elements of the world, it is designed to be temporary, becoming altered and eventually erased by weather, moisture, and time.
The piece highlights the cross between permanence and fragility. The rocks being strong and unmoving, contrast with the clay, which is malleable and delicate, symbolizing both human touch and impermanence. By attaching spikes of clay onto rocks, I bring an element of temporary transformation. These spikes act as a metaphor for psychological boundaries: protective and reactive, but also unsustainable. Over time, they will crack and dissolve from exposure, mirroring our own instinct to defend and isolate ourselves: defenses that, like the clay, will eventually break down.
The artwork is in response to place, specifically on how we relate to environments both physically and emotionally and how we alter them with our own presence, memory, or acts of avoidance. The social commentary in this work is abstract, the clay spikes showcase both defense mechanisms in the natural world as well as how humans psychologically defend themselves, bridging the connection between human and non-human social structures.
Thorned brings attention to impermanence as not a loss, but instead as a transformation. By exposing ourselves to the environment around, it reflects how the defenses we build to protect ourselves, might also be keeping us away from further connections.
This is such a beautiful piece. I love how the delicate elements of your sculpture naturally create a contrast in meaning because of the materials you used with the delicate material of clay but using it to form sharp, protective objects similar to the way a cactus or a rose has thorns to protect itself. I almost imagine that these rocks grew thorns suddenly, like the way a porcupine would show its spines when threatened. "Thorned brings attention to impermanence as not a loss, but instead as a transformation." I also love how you wrote your statement!
ReplyDeleteHi Aaliyah,
ReplyDeleteIt resonated with me when you said our outer shells "might also be keeping us away from further connections." People definitely form these defensive mechanisms to shield themselves from reopening deeper wounds. However, your piece communicates to me that vulnerability is bravery and has the potential to heal the wounds of the past. The thorns make me question the integrity and strength of the rock. I read the thorns as when they shed, the person will realize the strength they already have in being themselves and unapologetic. Overall, the concept is really well thought out and contain very healing messages!
Hi Aaliyah, I really love this concept of this project with using clay spikes on the rocks to have boundaries psychologically, but could also be physically as well. We definitely use these boundaries or mechanisms to protect ourselves from others in both ways. I do wonder what these rocks with clay spikes would look like, kind of destroyed, like a spike is chipped, almost to show that it is not fully protected by its clay spikes, like we sometimes don't get those boundaries fully sometimes. Although this concept worked really well! Nice work!
ReplyDeleteHey Aaliyah!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite projects so far, you somehow personified the rocks to me, and made me feel like they have a heartbeat. The use of clay is super interesting, because I wonder what it'll look like once the weather continues on, will it melt? dry? crack? It's such a thoughtful concept and I really enjoyed it.