Map Relief

Fragile

packaging tape, foam board, tracing paper

approx. 18" x 26" x 12"

In Process: 

With this map relief, I wanted to focus on transparency in order to represent the fragility of both the natural world and the man made world, as well as the relationship between the two. I think it is easy for many people to think that natural forms such as mountains and ocean are indestructible because of their imposing size as and seemingly timeless presence, but humans can relatively quickly destroy countless miles of forest, reshape landscapes, and change the entire system of the ocean. On the other hand, living in Florida, I have seen tornadoes and many hurricanes; I know that nature could just as easily destroy the human world.

I chose to make the buildings of a small city out of clear packaging tape to emphasize the fragility of man, and mountains out of delicate layers of tracing paper-also semi-transparent- using molds made of aluminum foil, to represent the fragility of nature. The two environments extend from opposite sides of the same plane to represent their relationship. I chose to show the underside of the mountain forms in order to force the viewer to confront the hollow fragility of them. They also resemble craters which threaten to consume the city on the other side.