(im)Balance

(im)Balance is about the relationship between two very common substances that we deal with every day: salt and water. The installation shows the alternating dependency and dominance between them.

The effectiveness of water and salt in living things entirely depends on the presence of the other. But like most parasitic relationships, the two elements appear mutually destructive. (im)Balance shows relationship between these two natural, but inorganic materials and the result of their exchange.

Salt, a compound formed primarily by a positive ion and a negative ion, is a perfect example of the unyielding union of two natural complements. Water, the most ubiquitous substance on earth, bears its uniqueness and strength in its hydrogen bonding. While water and salt both embodying a strong structure, they affect and transform each other radically.

As the ice melts, a void slowly becomes apparent. The ambiguous, geological forms of salt remain. The void is the mark of the ice, its impact on the salt.

packing up

the staff is going to serve my used salt to the cows. im glad it is going to good use!

more balloons

balloons in the freezer

some of the other fellows have told me that they look forward to seeing the new colors of balloons in the freezer.

Salt 8

channel

i made a tiny flash stop-motion but im having trouble uploading....so here are some images instead. the ice seemed like it was moving towards the salt for the duration of its melting. I didn't touch it at all.

III

I really love when the equator of the sphere hits the surface of the salt.

trial II

As the ice melts, the salt sucks in the water and almost turns to a solid. this one looks like a volcano, but the flatter ones ironically resemble glaciers.

trial I- crater stage

farm day

Anthony, Pat and I visited a local farm today with a lot of goats, a baby goat, some pigs, ducks, chicks, cows, a peacock, and a cute little dog named Tink. The swiss goats like to climb up high and are rarely on the ground. Jeremy, who owns the farm makes soap out of his goat's milk. I made another drawing today- hopefully i can keep it up. I recorded the first ice orb melting on a bed of salt, and made some more orb molds. I cant stop reading National Geographic, WATER. Between that and Salt, my reading material is quite appropriate. Also, a dog at the farm just had puppies.

VCCA arrival

VCCA is incredible. my studio is huge and the campus is a beautiful place to spend a residency. here are pictures of my studio, the studio barn, the horses and the campus. the sign on the way in says, "drive slow. cows and cars share the road." I havent seen any cows yet. VCCA is affiliated with Sweet Briar College, and all girls school, whose facilities are also available to the artists in residence. i have started drawing some small paper sculptures that I made yesterday. I am working on getting freezer access and burlap so that I can start casting the ice spheres.