ROBIN
CASS "My work consists of tangled clusters of fleshy formations that evoke botanical or zoological specimens. I am interested in ambiguity and contradiction, and want to suggest familiar forms while remaining open to various associations. These pieces appear luscious and floral from a distance, but become more visceral and possibly sentient upon closer inspection. The primary elements of each piece are meant to suggest sensory organs, either plant or animal.
My inspirations include the botanical photographs of Karl Blossfeldt, biological engravings of Ernst Haeckel, and glass scientific models of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. I am fascinated by the human inclination to seek out and gather odd and novel objects for personal contemplation and public display; an urge exemplified by the "WunderKammer" or cabinets of curiosities of Renaissance Europe. I am essentially making my own oddities and arranging them in compositions meant to elicit a sense of wonder and inquisitiveness." -Robin Cass |