The Vision
I am producing a series of 1000 ceramic wasp-galls. The purpose of the installation is to magnify an enchanting aspect of our natural word, provide metaphor between symbiosis and helping others, and thereby promote the preservation of natural environments. The galls range in price from $5-30 and all profits will be donated to a natural preservation charity.
The Art
The galls are wood and gas fired and they are made from a wide variety of clays. The surfaces include glaze, oxides, wood ash, bronze, and atmospheric salt and soda effects. The textures and manipulations are results of my evolving production, availability of materials, and boundless determination. The arrangement of the galls is conformed to the gallery. Each piece is hung from a strand of fishing line at varying lengths. The installation is suspended from the ceiling. The galls pulse and sway with the spectators, the overall feeling is mystical. Many pieces hang low enough for a 360* observation and dramatic shadows double the magnitude. Installation sculpture is comparable to performance art. In the experience, the mind of the viewer achieves liberation from everyday thoughts and takes home an actively inspired mind.
The Cycle
The life cycle of the gall wasp is a unique phenomenon in nature. Completely dependent upon the existence of the oak, the wasp lays its larvae in the oak’s flower. Over the larvae the oak grows a protective cocoon-like “gall”: a loosely inflated papery vessel ranging in color from green to brown to gold. The gall houses the larvae and provides nourishing tissue to sustain the larvae. The newly formed wasp emerges from the gall and spends the remaining three weeks of its life laying new larvae in the surrounding oak trees. Gall wasp varieties are diverse and numerous. A single oak tree can be inflicted with 70 varieties, each produced by a different species of wasp and each with it’s own particular contorted shape.
Relevance and Metaphor
“Is this a symbiotic relationship; is this a parasitic relationship?” For the galls and for the oak tree their relationship is a moot point. Whatever their impact on the oak, the cycle of the galls is continued. The metaphor of the galls is meant to extend to my relationships; I am the oak tree. I am an apprentice and volunteer curator. I donate my time to local artists and institutions: Steve Tobin, Willi Singleton and RAT Gallery. And as I ponder these relationships, their benefit is also unclear. I believe the experiences will enrich my creativity, fuel my drive and perhaps help pave my path for future endeavors, but they may not. But moot, like the galls, the art cycle is allowed to continue. As an emerging artist who hopes to make an impact on this earth, I am making galls to inspire protection and preservation of natural habitats.
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