Ornament within structure: investigation of cellular wall structure of plants
Date
2010
Authors
Drake, Amber Nicole, author
Bates, Haley, advisor
Coronel, Patricia, committee member
Medford, June, committee member
Voss, Gary Wayne, committee member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
In my recent body of work I have chosen to magnify the cellular structures of plants and modify them into a more concrete and visible state. This process alters the familiar perception of plant cells, reassembling them into a new material and format. I am using the inherent beauty within the basic structure of the plant to express a fresh vision of beauty itself. By using cellular structures as a means to ornament the body, I'm forcing the viewer to interact with these forms in an unfamiliar way. Manipulating the plant’s innate qualities by magnification and modification of materials distorts its original value, fundamentally humanizing it. It is distorted further as I add functionality to the images by fabricating them into jewelry forms. The alteration of the original form creates a new relationship of semblance between plants and humans.
Description
Department Head: Gary Wayne Voss.