The COrk Globe (2019)
at WAAM Woodstock, NY
Cork Globe (2019)
Cork is naturally a sustainable material, not harming the tree it is harvested from and effectively recycleable. Still, synthetic corks that will end up in a landfill are being produced by the masses. In an effort to explore why we as consumers make dire sacrifices for convenience, I began collecting the synthetic corks that could not be apart of MOM's Organic Market's cork recycling program. Over the next couple months, I collected nearly 20lbs, approximately 700, synthetic corks. It was important that they became a sculpture. It was equally as important that this sculpture engage the public and exploit the absurdity of synthetic corks.
The Cork Globe made it's debut at Woodstock Artists Association and Museum in Woodstock, New York in August 2019, apart of their Habitats For Artists Program. This residency programs provide artists three days in "the shed", on-site at WAAM, where they can work and interact with the buzzing community. During my three days there, I hosted the Collective Sculpture Station, where people could stop in to chat and contribute to two sculptures- the Cork Globe and Bloomin' (mind garden). Together we attached the painted synthetic corks to the globe, creating a representation of a more environmentally friendly Earth, made through community participation and compassionate environmental consciousness. When the sculpture arrived at Woodstock and it’s creation was in the hands of the people, it took on a life of it’s own. Over three days, children, adults, grandparents, tourists, and locals all added corks, flowers, incenses and their own experiences regarding sustainability as they visited the Collective Sculpture Station.
Cork Globe now resides in Maryland, where occasionally, corks are still being attached....