Strata, Caroline Bagenal's 10 foot high sculpture dominates the back room at Boston Sculptors Gallery. As the title suggests this sculpture was constructed in layers. Caroline describes the problems she encountered ( below).
Strata by Caroline Bagenal ( pictured here)
" I had to make each layer light enough so that I could move it, but strong enough so that it could take the accumulated weight of the other layers. I also had to make it very portable so that it could be quickly assembled and disassembled in the gallery as I had only one full day and an evening to install. Each layer presented different problems, even the hay bales were the wrong size to fit into my 5 foot square. So I worked with wooden framing, multiple cardboard tubes and boxes. The hardest part was lifting the final layers into place. I also wanted to include a few of my favorite books. The books are like the frosting between the layers, I went around the house collecting them on the day of install and chose which ones would fit together, by title and content as well as color and size. The books add a personal element to the piece. I teach a seminar class on issues in contemporary art so there are texts related to that class and to a class I teach on African art. I have taken students to Africa 6 times that experience became part of the sculpture. All in all Strata is about layers of memories, experiences and ideas."
Strata, detail