Elina Strandberg
Sculptures of grass
28.9.-21.10.2018
Sculptures of grass
The exhibition theme and materials are based on urban nature mixed with traces of human presence. Urban nature is constantly changing due to construction, traffic and other human activities. Using encounters between some of these traces and vegetation, I built new hybrids – sculptures about the life of grass in the middle of a growing city. I became fascinated with the co-existence of nature and traces left by humans. I wanted to create a poetic, yet melancholic perspective on these encounters.
When I was in Berlin in 2016, I saw studies of nature drawn by Japanese architects. They were delicate and airy drawings, ideas before compromises that are always required in the end. They inspired me to try building sculptures of plants. The size of the sculptures was largely dictated by the fragility of the dried plants. While working, I wanted to achieve a “feeling of taking off” – airiness, lightness and a rhythm of lines.
My work also involved some kind of modern-day archeology. While wandering outdoors, I began to find items from different decades ranging from the 1940s to the present day. My imagination began to create stories behind the items. Why was there a partially decomposed oriental-style rug in the middle of a forest? How did an old ski boot end up under a tree? I also found other items covered by vegetation, like faded or decayed pieces of food packages as well as clothes, shoes and other stuff that had partly become a growing medium for plants after once being used by people who spent time in the forest. Wrapping paper advertisements were weathered by the passing of time. I also found homeless people’s abandoned camps.
About my art
Light is an essential element in my work. I utilize both space and light when building my installations, so they are often temporary by nature. I am particularly fascinated by materials that either reflect light or allow light to pass through them. They may also be fragile and almost immaterial. Water is often included in my installations as a pure material and also due to its magical light and reflective capacity.
I originally worked with drawings and then became a sculptor. After working with light installations as a sculptor and due to my drawing background, I also began to depict light through color. Today my works are not only sculptures and installations but also drawings and paintings.
Elina Strandberg
elinastran(at)gmail.com
