Grapefruit Circles
Taking my research on Iris Bechtol, I took my sculptural practice outside onto a real site: my front garden. Like Bechtol, I was interested in enhancing naturally found objects of nature, by displacing them. Below is the result.
As I was evaluating my front lawn as a possible ‘real site’, I was immediately captivated by my grapefruit tree. The almost fluorescent yellow grapefruits, quite unnaturally round for objects of nature, blended perfectly within the branches of the tree. The more I thought about them, the stranger they became. So, I decided to present them in circles on the lawn to change the viewers relationship with them. By placing them this structured, unnatural way, they become unmissable to the eye. And in these tight groups, their colours become more saturated. Objects once easily disregarded now turned into questionable creations of nature just by displacing them.
I think placing them in the context of nature itself instead of a gallery, highlights their obscurity in contrast to their natural environment.
Once I had taken the grapefruits away and looked at the photos I took and I started to imagine what it would look like if there were even more grapefruit circles. So I took my photos to photoshop and added more.
I think adding more circles would’ve been affective, if my dad wasn’t so precious about me picking them faster than he could make his marmalade.
Huge Grapefruit
Focusing still on the visual properties of the grapefruit from my living room window, I noticed that my mother’s yoga ball is a similar colour and spherical shape to the fruit. So, I decided to place the yoga ball into the tree.
By doing this, I am once again drawing the viewers attention onto the shape, colours and textures of the grapefruit by increasing their size with the use of the yoga ball. It highlights the obscurity of the grapefruits and their relationship with the tree.
By taking them out of the tree and placing them next to each other, I’m highlighting the resemblance between the two objects. I don’t think it is as effective as putting the ball in the tree, but it does focus our attention to the reason I chose to put the yoga ball in the tree in the first place. Like a game of spot the difference, the viewer is able to directly compare and contrast the two objects, drawing out their similarities. However, despite their similarities, the yoga ball is man made and belongs indoors, whereas the grapefruit is made from nature and does belong outdoors. This once again enhances the grapefruit’s strange, unfit place in nature.
This is so cool! It reminds me of fairy rings/circles with the grapefruit rings. Love the play with organic matter.
Emma – that’s a fantastic project and great photoshop skill as well. Quantity is important especially when you are working outside where scale shrinks everything. You can really see the Bechtol’s influence but you give it a very kiwi twist.