Unknowable Terrain

• Main Author: Holcomb, Carli A
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2016
• Subjects: Metal; Universe; Mythology; Craft; Art; Sculpture; Life; Metal and Jewelry Arts
• Online Access: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/4302; http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5309&context=etd

I see the moment of creation as a threshold, a fertile ground where anything is possible. My work combines an interest in science, mythology, cosmologies, and a childlike sense of wonderment to seek the unknowable. I create formless floating worlds that have a seducing, enlightening, and ultimately deceiving presence. Vibrant lusty clusters of candied opulence emphasize the wetness at the beginning of life. Dry folds give way to woozy nests and frenzied organisms while dripping crystalline structures puncture soft unknowable terrains. Through the process of making I indulge my desire to create an otherworld, one that bubbles, garishly drips, and slips slowly into lavish amalgamations. By combining artificial and organic materials with the rich traditions of metalsmithing, I am able to explore the infinity of tiny connections that make up the complex whole of the natural world. I make as a result of my own curiosity, drawing and building an imaginary world, from one layer to the next.