PROJECT

Prima Materia

An outdoor sculpture installation inspired by the mythology of Alchemy.

pri·ma ma·te·ri·a

/ˌprīmə məˈti(ə)rēə,ˌprēmə/

noun

1.      a central tenet of Western alchemy: a ubiquitous, formless substance from which all other matter, corporeal and spiritual, is created.

A precise definition of the Prima Materia is actually rather elusive, and it is a “thing” often conveyed best by way of metaphor or simile. This is unsurprising for such a concept: one that incorporates the immaterial elements of the human psyche and mysteries of consciousness, that wrestles with the presence of chaos and its relationship to human lives and the universe; one that ponders the quality of fluidity throughout the physics and materiality of nature, within the mind and construct of self, and within the practice of philosophy itself. A thing of many names, Prima Materia is of the slippery, ancient practice of quantifying existence, and at its very least, is a catalyst for reflection on issues intrinsic to humanity.

The sculptures in this series symbolize the Prima Materia’s domain of inquiry, and seek to evoke the immediacy of natural processes and a recollection of primitive imprint. There is no representational intention, but fabricated from commonplace industrial and non-precious metal, the artwork readily masquerades as a tumult of alchemic stock on the verge of transformation.

Edition 1/1

Private commission.

MEDIUM Poured Aluminum & Stainless Steel

Credits

Collaborating Artist: Harri Kallio Foundry Manager & SPECIAL THANKS: Paige Tooker for New York Art Foundry Videographer: Paige Tooker

design & production