Kiera Hogg

Artist statement:

"Tree. What is a tree? Trees are a lifeline. Trees are OUR lifeline. They are the reason we breathe the air we do, and what have we as a species done to return the favour? We have polluted THEIR lifeline.

This year as part of my Graded Unit work, I have investigated into the UN’s Sustainability Goals, specifically Goal 13: Climate Action and to represent this goal I chose to create a willow tree sculpture made from items that were being thrown away.p0[

I investigated a tree’s life cycle and how plastic molecules have made their way into nature. Therefore, the leaves have been made from plastic, as if to symbolise that the plastic molecules have overtaken the natural molecules that make up the structure of the leaves, the leaves are biodegradable due to the type of plastic I used.

The trunk and branches have been made from chicken wire and spare wire. This is because we throw away a lot of wire, like when we throw away old electronics or old coat hangers.

The video beside the tree is a time lapse of how I built it and how it is intended to be used in the future, it will be used as a plant carrier, so that when the leaves degrade, plants like Ivy will remain and grow down the tree so that it will remain looking like a willow."