“ In the Thicket of It” produced by Sally Heller caught my eye immediately as I turned the page in the most recent art papers magazine. At first glance I thought it was just an artistic photograph of an Amazon rainforest of some sort however once I took a closer look I realized it was actually made will all man made material in some sort of workspace. I feel as though this piece is about tranquility, serenity, peace and solitude. Crafted so beautifully to the likeness of a rainforest it can make one think of jungle.
Its bright green color reflected on the mirrored textured floor brings a water feel to the piece making it even more tranquil. I feel as though the artist created it to show the viewer that beauty is anything and anything can be made with beauty. “ In the Thicket of It” is an installation piece. Touches of pink, yellow and a little orange accent the dominant green and brown that make up the majority of the piece. Some sort of mirrored texture is used on the floor to imitate the look of water while a green-netted material lay above it creating a soothing reflection.
Around the reflection “ pools” are what seems to be straw creating more texture in piece. Random pink pieces of what seems to be plastic lay on the floor to make a flower feel. It seems as though everything that is used to make the “ trees” are hanging from the ceiling in a vertical manner making lines and bringing volume to the piece. By hanging all the green objects vertical it gives me the sense that everything is somewhat rounder and taller. Also from her placement of objects it seems to feel like it extends beyond the picture and further back than ones eye can see.
The emphasis on this work would be the mirrored floor in my opinion because it’s in the center of the piece and creates such a beautiful water illusion that one can not help but to be drawn to it. Although Sally Heller uses a variety of objects textures and colors to create her whimsical rainforest like installation balance is achieved. I believe the balance is achieved by the placement of the mirrored “ pool” because it gives you the since of a mirrored image. In the Thicket of It” is a piece influence by global warming and human waste.
“ The work speak to the context as to we as a society experience on a day to day levels situations that might cause human anxiety an endless need to consume and convenience at the expense of our environment. “ – Sally Heller. The global warming saga has influenced the piece in a huge way because Sally Heller used all “ low-grade” materials which most humans waste to create beauty.