process V - seed forms
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Seed Forms
Forms made from plant materials, mainly Phormium (New Zealand Flax) leaves, inspired by the shapes and characteristics of seeds.
My garden in Dorset is exposed to coastal winds and only certain plants thrive, but those that do often spread to different areas. I became interested in the mechanisms of that dispersal which uses seeds in many cases. Some of the plants are welcome and encouraged, such as the Californian Poppy, whereas others might be perceived as weeds - plants in the wrong place. Initially I was particularly drawn to the beauty and effectiveness of the dandelion's colonisation strategy, and I created works that combined dandelion seeds with beach pebbles found in the garden. I soon moved on to the concept of creating seed-like forms using plant materials from the garden.
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Dandelion seed head
A dandelion 'pappus disk' created by splitting the end of a phormium leaf. When it dried the leaf curled into a tube and the end fibres were spread to resemble the 'parachute' on a dandelion seed. -
Allium seethed
Pleasing arrangement of stalks and seed capsules -
The seed forms were created to be entirely biodegradable, using only phormium fibres to stitch together the objects. New Zealand Flax plays a long and important role in Maori culture, where its straplike leaves have been used to produce an extraordinarily strong fibre and for weaving.
The intrinsic properties of Phormium leaves - strength and the inclination to curl longitudinally - were leveraged to create the sculptures.
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Spined sphere
An attempt to create an object with dried phormium leaves, inserted into a ball of Charmouth mudstone. Tiny sections of leaf were attached at the end of each spine.
A small section of bamboo skewer was embedded in the middle to allow a length of vintage twine (coloured with Indian ink) to be attached to the middle of the ball.
Would like to try filling in the spaces between the spines in some way. -
Shadows
The spiny form creates interesting shadows. -
Spined form
Phormium leaves (dried and curled into tubes) and Charmouth mudstone core. -
disseminate (v.)
c. 1600, "to scatter or sow for propagation," from Latin disseminatus, past participle of disseminare "to spread abroad, disseminate," from dis- "in every direction" (see dis-) + seminare "to plant, propagate," from semen (genitive seminis) "seed" (from PIE root *sē- "to sow"). Figurative sense of "to spread by diffusion (teaching, opinion, error, etc.) with reference to some intended result" is by 1640s. Related: Disseminated; disseminates; disseminating. Middle English had dissemen "to scatter" (early 15c.).
https://www.etymonline.com/word/disseminate
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