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My work has evolved from years of drawing and rather obsessive collecting. Through sculpture I weave these two actions together. Black annealed wire, steel rods, black silicone and other linear material carry on the drawing practice while moving the work into the sculptural realm.

 

The gathering, cleaning and storing of collected objects, whether they are man-made or natural, allows for a kind of intimacy with each object. This information is crucial while combining materials to make new, hybrid forms. Various temporal and delicate materials — leaves, moss, acorns, Japanese paper, seeds — often mirror our human sensitivities and vulnerabilities.

 

Structures of all kinds from cellular to geographic inform the work. The sculptures become a collaboration of materials and intention, with the materials often altering my concept and practice of working.

 

For the most part these sculptural objects are presented on the wall or hanging in mid-air. They are made as singular pieces and often come together in larger installations. The individual works relate to and play off of each other like letters of an alphabet.

 

I transform the material used in these sculptures to bring attention to fragile and often fugitive objects that might otherwise go unnoticed.

 

Mari Andrews

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Artists' Gallery