WILD

WILD is a sculpture I created in 2022 to examine the relationship between class structures and destruction of ecosystems by wildfires.

Historically, the chandelier was seen as a symbol of class and importance. Chandeliers were often covered with elaborate jewels and decorative metal work to display their importance and luxury. I chose to create a modern chandelier which examines wealth, nature, and the destruction of our planet by humans and industrialization.

The structure of my chandelier consists of a spiral surrounded by four hexagons, chosen to mimic shapes commonly found in nature. These shapes being made from metal speaks to human activity in nature and the destruction of the natural world due to those activities. Industrialization continues to destroy and displace nature while putting up a facade of being eco-friendly. This also speaks to wealth in relation to nature. Even though our planet is being drained of its natural resources, big businesses and wealthy people continuously disregard their ability to preserve nature for the pursuit of money. Additionally, wealthy people and private companies continue to “gate-keep” nature by putting a price on it, making it less accessible to the average citizen.

The colors of flowers in this chandelier were chosen to represent wildfires which ravage our country and our planet. When chandeliers first came into prominence, they were a main cause of house fires which displaced people and nature. Without human activity, fires would not thrive and have the ability to displace so many species of plants and animals.