Frauke Wilken

Frauke Wilken, a German artist with a focus on sculpture, creates objects that deal with the boundary between inner and outer worlds.  There is an uncertainty whether whatever is on the inside of these objects are still or are in motion.  There is a grotesqueness to each one of these sculptures and a call of attention to certain orifices.  Each one of his objects create a tension between fragility and strength, security and bondage, as well as growth and decay.  I stumbled upon Frauke while researching a few months ago for my own work.  The absurdity of her objects is an inspiration to me.   I can see the links between womb and cellular structure, present in my own work, in the sketches and ideation that can be seen throughout her work.  Like always, you can check out more of Wilken's work at her website.  

Jason Middlebrook, Submerged

This past week was deFine art, a small art festival, at SCAD.  There were many artists here, including Jonah Bokaer, Jason Middlebrook, Dustin Yellin, Alfredo Jaar, Nicola Lopez, (and more), visiting, performing, and installing their works.  I helped Jason Middlebrook and his assistant Anna work on and install his work, Submerged.  He used reclaimed wooden spikes, that 200 years ago helped build up the bottom of the Savannah River, for a large scale installation in the tower of the SCAD museum.  We painted these pieces of wood and then they were suspended upside down in a tiered system to resemble some sort of chandelier type of structure.  It was very  fun to get to talk to Jason and Anna about the going ons of their studio work as well as how their personal lives affect their studio.  Here are a few pictures during the install.  

A Birthday Present

I just took official pictures of the shuttle that Zach made for me for my birthday.  It is made primarily out of an African wood and a few small details of walnut.  

The Transformative Home

These are my newest works that I have been working on the past week or so.  

           “I imagine each planted life as a surrogate for a human form.  I am interested in the intimacy and fragility that the anthropomorphic pile of seed and dirt create.  Placing it in the visual landscape is a way for me to engage in a conversation about the life and the temporary environments we create, occupy, and share with other living things.

           I imagine each discarded blanket as a specific memory of a part of life that was lived through these objects.  It is my opinion that entropy explains the state of the present human life.  It is while we are engaged in living that we are fighting that state of decay and attempting to control our own conditions.  I want to highlight the significance and extent of the time, protection, and attention that must be spent in order for things to grow despite the aspect of chance and chaos. These fundamental inconsistencies in the transformation of a home fascinate me and continue to fuel my curiosity to seek the patience involved to find potential beauty in the decay and growth of the future.”

                                                            -Frances Russell