September 12, 2015

Tiny Metaphors for an Ever-Changing World

Delicate sculptures of fallen leaves crocheted together with cotton string are a sobering reminder of our greatest architectural feats' impermanence.

By Kalliopi Monoyios

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Working with impossibly delicate materials, sculptor Susanna Bauer creates objects that emphasize the strength and frailty of nature. The bold shapes she creates with found leaves and cotton thread look robust and confident and are certainly flawlessly executed. But our knowledge of how brittle fallen leaves are cannot be supressed, creating a tension in her work that is irresistible. It's a beautiful metaphor for our most ambitious bridges, dams, and skyscrapers that we construct as though the ground underneath will never give way or change; a sobering reminder of the impermanence of things.

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*Close* by Susanna Bauer; magnolia leaves and cotton yarn

Susanna Bauer's portfolio has more beautiful sculptures containing crocheted leaves, wood, and stone. Many are available for purchase through Lemon Street Gallery and Badcocks Gallery. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Every September we here at Symbiartic take the opportunity to dish up a daily dose of sciart featuring all the incredible artists we haven’t been able to get to during the year. Curious to see the inspiring artists we’ve featured in the September SciArt Blitz over the years? Check out previous years’ galleries:2014 | 2013 | 2012

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