Alternation of Generations

Ceramic Sculpture

Skills Demonstrated

  • Sculpture
  • Art Installation

My Role

Ceramic Sculpting, Firing, & Installation

 

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In the Alternation of Generations sculpture series, I was inspired by the ocean, micro-sexual biology, and surrealist painters such as Max Ernst and sculptors like Eva Hesse. By combining the visuals and tactile sensations I associate with a primordial soup creation and those of sexual reproduction, I create a sense of dynamism and movement associated with the origins of life.

To me, the wet and plastic nature of the clay evokes the slimy and flexible properties of ocean life and the cells in sexual fluids. I hang the egg, cocoon, or egg sack-like pieces from the ceiling so that their suspension makes them similar to aquatic animals and sexual cells; also so that they can move slightly in the space. I often include an overwhelming amount of visual information on the surface in order to suggest an explosion of life such as in a coral reef where life builds upon itself in layers.

I made the pieces out of paper clay (both fired and unfired), beeswax, iron oxide, petroleum jelly, and adobe.

Alternation of Generations Series 1

Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Sculpture Paper Clay
Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Sculpture Paper Clay
Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Paper Clay

Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Sculpture Paper Clay
Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Sculpture Paper Clay
Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Sculpture Paper Clay

Alternation of Generations Series 2

Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Paperclay
Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Paperclay
Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Paperclay

Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Paperclay
Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Paperclay

Alternation of Generations Series 3

Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Adobe
Margaret Darcher Alternation of Generations Adobe

Process

Margaret Darcher Sculpture Process
Margaret Darcher Sculpture Process
Margaret Darcher Sculpture Process

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