Michelle Lougee

What Began…

What Began features the debut of work in a new medium for me, adobe paperclay. The results are tactile woven pieces evoking natural forms. Hidden inside of these forms are layers of discarded materials such as electrical and high-tech scraps, paper, and cloth. Together, they form a complex and intriguing surface that raises concerns about consumption of natural resources as well as human resources both physical and mental.

Much of my work describes a place where evolution has produced organisms melded from plant and animal ancestry. Trapeze is one of these pieces. It resembles a wasps nest or milkweed pod that is woven with paper fabric and remnants of outdated technology.

The ceramic and mixed media Barnacles combine natural forms and habitats with technology and construction refuse such as wires, electrical plugs, photographs and found and created objects. These types of pieces represent the battleground between nature and human development.

This show continues my exploration of a planet running amuck. Our planet continues to be altered irreversibly by gasses we emit, our waste products, and by genetic changes made in the name of science. Life and nature will persevere despite these effects, but it may not continue on in the way weve grown accustomed to, and we may not be a part of its future.