Current Work
This sculpture was carved from another section of the same pecan log as Beyond the Grain, however In the Forest has quite a bit of spalting. Spalting is a pattern of black streaks and spots that result from fungus growth within the wood. This gives the finished sculpture a random and unexpected pattern that contributes to the overall organic feel of the form.
As with Beyond the Grain, In the Forest is stuck in a state of anticipation; its cuplike leaf outstretched as if waiting for something to fall into it. This form is reminiscent of the red plant form in Nucleus waiting to catch the seed produced by the green plant form.
The plant form sits on a ¼ inch thick piece of organically shaped steel that has been covered with kozo paper. The kozo has absorbed rust from the steel in some areas and not in others. This created a natural pattern on the paper. This piece of steel was attached to the surface of a 1 ½ inch thick slab of Portland cement which is shaped similarly to the steel. Like the other cement slabs used in this series of work, the surface of the slab was polished while the sides were left rough. In similar fashion to Beyond the Grain, the slab for In the Forest is raised by using a footing of black walnut wood. Many pieces of 1/8 inch steel rod that have been wrapped in kozo paper hold the cement slab ½ inch above the walnut footing. The paper-covered rods were placed randomly and the final effect of the footing is similar to clustered trees in a dense forest.
(Private Collection of Deborah Parker)
