Kris Perry, Mother Earth, 2020, Beach 98th Street Entrance, Rockaway Beach, Queens, NY - Photo by Angus Mordant
Toggling between the natural world and a cold industrial setting, a robotic arm languidly reduces a monolith of sustainable building product. The reductive carving process, reminiscent of classical stone carving, reveals the vernacular of sacral architecture. As the viewer journeys between natural, virtual, and factory worlds, there is power in the absence of humans. Finding a permanent home in a tree-filled knoll, the sculpture presents a paradox: "how does humanity’s technology aid and abet the saving and destruction of our environment, often all at once.”
The video is a companion to a larger monumental work by artist Kris Perry, which is being installed in NYC on August 12 at Rockaway Beach. Made of Corten steel and standing 35-feet-tall, the public installation of Mother Earth invites viewers to stand at the center underneath its spire to contemplate the same enigmatic question.
Kris Perry is an American metal sculptor whose work includes large kinetic pieces and sound sculptures. He has collaborated with a number of well-known musicians combining sculpture and music.