Sophy King

Gold/Moss/Concrete

Playing around with materials, and getting into the making groove. 

Collaborative project with the Landscape Architect Dorothy Bothwell

This project is part of a conceptual series of habitat enrichment interventions at the I-Park Foundation

The sculptural form of the incubator cages (in this case a tower) protect young native beneficial plants.  As the form breaks down, the plants take over and begin to colonise the site, improving biodiversity.

Rehabit is my first project to be completed here at I-Park, it’s been an immensely productive time for me.  In this piece recycled doors are cut into letters and covered in moss.  The site is a vernal pool and as the doors slowly rot down they form a new habitat for the moss, fueling a cycle of growth and decay.

An investigation of growth and decay and transformative processes has resulted in several strands of work emerging.  I am taking photos to show the changes in the park as autumn arrives.  The full on colour has been knocked back by a destructive Gypsy Moth infestation this summer. 

I’m using gold leaf and moss to alter some cast-off concrete hemispheres.

I’m also working on a piece in the woods made out of recycled doors and moss (concept drawing below).  The title, Rehabilitation, refers to the function of the moss taking over and breaking down the doors, to the work that I-Park are doing on the land, and to the role of the residency as a place of retreat for artists.  There is a natural cycle going on in the work, but the shortening of the word to REHAB brings a more urban connotation to mind. 

Mapping the trees around the clearing I like.  Director of I-Park, Ralph Crispino Jr is happy for me to use this spot.  The sense of a protective circle makes me think of offerings.  I’ve found some concrete semi-spheres which are almost like cups on the Junk Trail, so I’ll maybe use these.

A mini-project idea....

In the dry river bed behind the Red Barn. I’m imagining a golden rock tumbling down the moss-covered rock in the bed, representing water ending the drought.  The whole area’s suffered from drought and a Gypsy Moth infestation which wreaked havoc, especially on the oak trees.

A bird walk to start off the day.  Lovely twitchers from the local Audobon Society.  So interesting, the same same but different birds and their names.  The twitchers translate the bird calls; “Theif, theif!” or “Peabody, peabody”  They don’t really sound anything like the calls but capture the rhythm I guess.

I made a sketch of a planting idea, I’m collaborating with Landscape Architect Dorothy Bothwell, in response to a work about invasive plants by Bob Chaplin.  The idea is to introduce Invitee plants to inhabit the area.  There are two sites we have in mind; a scrubby field to introduce meadow plants, and a monoculture valley of ferns to introduce another native fern.

I also spent time in a spot I’ve found, walking a spiral, clearing brush and drawing.

Watched pond skaters.

I’m back in the workshop, making the most of the bit of time between the kids going back to school and the start of my residency at the I-Park in Connecticut in October.

I’m looking at the prints I’ve done at Hot Bed Press, and the photos that I’m moved to take when I’m out and about.

The gull animation updated

More animation for Birds of Passage

My starting point was a drawing of a gull from the Ribble Estuary (note to self - must figure out what sort of a gull it was!)