Sam Smith

Black Holes

Clay & foam core

The ears started with a project to contemplate black holes and to then create a piece illustrating how we interpreted them. The phrase “in one ear and out the other” came to mind. Sometimes our own ears can act as black holes – absorbing information without comprehending or acknowledging what we are hearing. Has that ever happened to you, where you look up and realize someone had asked you a question, or said something to you and was waiting for your response, but you did not even realize they had said something in the first place? So it started with one ear to represent its likeness to a black hole. I started to make more, though because there is also something a little unnerving about not knowing who is listening in on our conversations. So I created a collection of ears, to silently listen in on the conversations around them; whether they absorb the information or let it slip away into their own "black holes", who knows!

Clay

8" x 4" x 2"

Ceramic, raku glaze

9" x 6" x 5"

Ceramic

5" x 5" x 2.5"

Clay

5" x 3" x .5"

Foam Core, bondo, spray paint

11" x 6.5" x 4.5"

Ceramic, raku glaze

5" x 3" x 1.5"

Tree For Thought

Steel

This tree symbolizes the confliction of both nature and industrialization. The human species has accomplished so much in building great infrastructure and in destroying natural habitats. I am very inspired by nature and wanted a place to just sit and contemplate it, thus a seat was built into the piece itself. It was left outdoors to rust overtime, which added to the conversation about nature versus industry. Nature when left alone can accomplish great things as well, including taking back any infrastructure built by mankind if left alone and unattended.

This tree is from a previous semester's class that I thought would make a great addition to the Art in the Garden show this year. It is approximately nine feet high by three feet wide, five feet if you measure the width of the tree "root" to "root". This sat outside and rusted quite nicely which I believe added to the piece and the statement I was trying to make about this confliction of nature v. society/industrialization. Rust is nature's way of taking over man-made infrastructure, so I sealed the rust in with a clear coat of penetrol. This gave the rust a nice glossy, smooth surface.

I had debated several times to add some kind of cushion or soft material to the seat of the tree to invite people to sit in it however, once the penetrol had dried, it was smooth to the touch so I left it as is (also because I like the way it blends in more as just a brown, rusty, metal skeleton.