Ball and Chain

As an inconstant gardener I struggle to contain nature, knowing that I am always fighting a losing battle against a greater power. In this work I retaliate and force nature to submit to my will and conform to the shape of my choosing, a sphere. Seaweed, specifically Bladder Wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) has been my chosen material. Collected from Berrow beach, washed and dried, the physical properties of this specific type of seaweed have enabled me to achieve the distinctive pattern on the surface of the sphere. Ancient cultures revered geometry as a living force in all things, and for the ancient Greeks Geometria was one of the seven hand-maidens of the goddess Natura. The sphere, cube and pyramid are universal forms in nature, with the sphere representing one, the centre of all directions, one continual surface, mobile, orbital, and representing movement. The ball and chain are heavy and made to weigh you down but the seaweed remind us of how things can drift on the oceans currents This work continues to reflect my preoccupation with time and the fragility and preciousness of life. Wells Contemporary