Stasis: Blooming & Wilting, 2021, 14 gauge steel, quarter-inch rods, 5/16-inch rods, cedar wood, Dimensions vary

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As epiphytes, orchids (scientific name Orchidaceae) grow on trees in tropical climates. With over 880 different genera, or types, and over 22,000 species, the orchidaceae family is the second largest of the flowering plants with its various blooms and colorations; each genera often requiring different care methods (e.g. watering, temperatures, potting). In stores, one of the major genuses of orchids available is the Phalaenopsis Blume, or the moth orchid.

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Fragility and strength are held in duality in Stasis : Blooming & Wilting. Held in an eternal state of growth and deterioration, one is able to observe the life cycle of an orchid. The orchid holds a familial significance as it was a plant my family would give to my late Grannie. The orchid’s beautiful bloom provided visual beauty during a time of difficulty. For me, the plant became a symbol of the familial relation and also of the frailty of maintaining.

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While maintaining a phototropic and geotropic response akin to what I have associated with store bought orchids, the metal plant attempts to echo an organic form while slowly encasing increasingly larger tree sections. Initially dependent on the support of other structures, the orchid in displaying final stages of its life cycle is free standing, having entirely framed the organic structure.