Robert Cannon is an American artist whose contemporary sculptures of concrete and moss are calling attention.
Born in Flemington, New Jersey, May 10, 1969, the artist holds a BA with distinction from Yale University. While attending Yale, Cannon studied under the American Sculptor Alice Aycock. Nature is the inspiration and foundation for Cannon’s terraform sculptures. Terraform, literally translates to “Earth-shaping“, the process of deliberate modification of the atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to those of Earth to make it habitable by humans.
The sculptures of Robert Cannon bring a new sense to the naturalist art conception. Most of his installations are built from concrete, but they don’t substitute the evolving natural elements — they get melted with them. These artworks have no place at museums, searching, above all, for the union between men and nature at public spaces.
On the words of the artist: “I adopted the term ‘Terraform’ as it’s used by the aerospace community, referring to the trial of ecologically modify a foreign body (as Mars, for example), in order to become it habitable, it means, ecologically sustainable. That’s what I try to do with my works: I apply the ‘Terraform’ notion not to other planets, but to the culture of the world, in order to become it habitable. The ‘Terraforms’ refuse the production of more dying objects.”
Robert Cannon’s sculptures are usually installed on organic material that, fulfilling the whole internal structure of the piece through canals constructed with concrete or metal, becoming able the natural integrated growth of several kinds of plants at the sculpture. The pieces have even more irrigation canals to avoid the plants’ dehydration and death. Like the gardens, ‘Terraforms’ interact with the environment.
We’re watching a change on the relationship between Men and Nature and this modification will be reflected on the global art. We’ve got to forget Post-Modernism; the Modernism isn’t dead, Ecological Art is the next chapter of its evolution and will be seen as the great artistic stream of this century”, affirms Robert Cannon.
https://www.iloboyou.com/contemporary-sculptures-concrete-moss-robert-cannon/
Analysis
This style of art is really interesting. Sculpting with a man-made material (cement) and a natural material (dirt and seeds) to create a juxtaposition is so striking and beautiful to me. Modern day architecture has not always considered nature, yet there is a slow-growing movement to once again incorporate greenery into public and work spaces. Terraform Sculpture may be exactly what modern architecture needs. For my senior project, I hope to integrate greenery into a cement structure. 3D printing large structures such as houses is often met with a level of hesitation from the public. I believe by developing architecture that more equally shares a space with nature, the public will come to accept it. This article demonstrates that it is possible.
Take-Aways
Concrete and nature can juxtapose each other, yet compliment each other
Nature can be shaped and formed to conform with unnatural man-made elements and spaces
