Cubes of Moss, Sweet Chestnut, Sycamore leaf, Cherry and Beech

Leaf cubes, Autumn 2024

Moss, Algae, clay; Sweet Chestnut casing card and glue in the making; Sycamore leaves, Cherry leaves, card and glue installation shot on cardboard box. 

Moss cube 90*90*90mm, sweet chestnut cube 110*110*110mm, beech leaf cube and cherry cube 75*75*75mm sycamore cube 100*100*100mm Studio Installation shot. RSA building, University of Reading

What makes something ‘organic’ is it the material? The shape? The colour? Is it still organic if man intervenes though we are part of nature itself?

This was the final response to a multipart collaborative exercise.  I like the contrast of the soft touch of the moss with the harsher box shape.  Moss is thought to be 450 million years old and has the ability to survive through extreme temperatures.  It has long been the blight of lawn lovers, but its value for biodiversity and carbon processing are now being reevaluated.  The sweet chestnut with its sharp spikes which protect the seed or chestnut within provide a sharp contrast to the soft moss.  A native deciduous tree, it is known to live up to 700 years old.  The leaves of the Sycamore Cherry and Beech are smooth and pliable.