By juxtaposing organic materials against an armature of steel, my art captures paradoxes of decomposition: formalism and fragility, permanence and impermanence, and nature and nurture.
I’m continually experimenting and evaluating placement of my sculptures. Since I focus on environmental awareness, it’s important to me to bring organic materials indoors to the viewer.
Placement affects meaning. The viewer’s perspective changes, but this sculpture gets lost in the environment. Should it?
My inspiration stems from nature, in additional to the following four artists:
- Eva Hesse: delicacy of materials, framing of powerful themes with grace,
- Anish Kapoor: using steel and similar infusions to instill messages about humanity,
- David Nash: playfulness in creating nature based work that succumbs to nature,
- Meret Oppenheim: for transforming items traditionally associated with decorum or refinement into sculpture.
Eve is a monument. Whether we see lungs or breasts or the negative space between the forms, we are forced to acknowledge the greatness of nature, despite how much we nurture it, as evidenced by the evergreen changing. It is foreboding. These decaying materials, presented in unexpected ways, challenge reason and emotion. Eve changes color and sheds through the duration of the exhibit: it’s nature’s own performance art.
My current work, shown above, is inspired by pine needle bunches. I plan to fill a small gallery space with these repeating forms.
To see more of my work, visit my website: www.garonstudio.com.
Stephanie Garon is one of 31 artists featured in the national juried exhibition de/composition at Main Street Arts. de/composition runs through June 28, 2019.
