Finalist of the Broomhill Sculpture Prize

Claudia Borgna

Monday 9 April 2012

In Stamford at Burghley House Sculpture Garden

A DIRTY DOZEN IS OUT AGAIN! 

This year Burghley Sculpture garden will host 2 of my works, I hope!
The pics you see here are of 'A dirty Dozen' an artwork that was on display at Burghley House two years ago. Now the roses like flowers are out there again, only this time in a much more fragile fashion and I explain how: although it's the same exact work of 2010 that had been stored for 2 years the bags that form the flowers are part of my ealry collection and are much older and well into their decomposition process and about to pulverize into small flakes of white plastic. All the original thorns have already fallen and the corollas are just about keeping their shapes.
To make sure that the plastic dust is not spreading out in the environment I have change the the cellophane wrap, that initially was intended to protect the flowers, with a fresh one that now has acquired a new function: to contain them as well as to shield us from them.
Working with plastic bags for so many years I have become familiar with all their forms of decay but this time it is very exciting to share with the viewers the process of the whole artwork slowly disintegrating before they very eyes and experience the vulnerable fragility of our constructions, at last confirming my predicaments reenforcing my initial artist statement.
Here it is once again:


My work entails the investigation of what I call the “evolution of landscape”, a process started and affected by modern life-styles and consumerism.
These six hundred recycled plastic bags are part of my same collection of many other thousands that I mould over and over into new ephemeral installations. These portray artificial landscapes and mimic the cyclic action of nature in its infinite sculptural forms.
Despite my continuous efforts and great concerns to protect and preserve the original pristine look of the work, this time I have decided to expose it to the transformational agents of time and nature. Could I ever prevent a flower from its wonderful decay?
It is for us to admire all its transitional phases and observe how the “plastic” and natural realms interact with one another.  These six hundred recycled plastic bags are part of my collection of other thousands that I continuously mould into new ephemeral artificial landscapes.
I cannot help but mimic the cyclic action of nature in its infinite sculptural forms to explore the tensions between the contradictions of our neurotic but beautiful world, where the desire for creation and destruction coexist side by side.Despite my great concerns to preserve the work could I ever prevent a flower from its inevitable wonderful decay?



The Opening of the Show Curated by Michael Shaw is on 24th April. The show will run well into the autumn season that will see the landscape and the setting of the art pieces and therefore the artworks themselves change hand in hand with the seasonal flow.
'A Dirty Dozen' will not only decay but also quickly be covered up by the all surrounding vegetation.












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