Bone Installations and Clay

      I am in my final month here at Osage. I am sad and excited all in one emotion. But life is still really good for me here. I wake up walk my greyhound and then make us both breakfast. Then I go to my studio to make or think about artwork for the rest of my day. It’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me but I still yearn for company and conversation out here on the farm. This week has been pretty busy for me since this is my last month here. I got two of the five installations done this week. I am really happy how they turned out. I have the pictures up on flicker or my facebook page. Either one gives a good visual of the new installations. The one in the rock bed is really cool. I found this spot in the woods down in a creek. It was almost like a sandbar but all rock with the fall leaves leaving parts covered and the high spots uncovered. It was a sweet spot and allowed the installation it settle in quite nicely. Getting the bones to this spot was no joke and the bones are as fragile as thin glass. I made it with no casualties and hiked the bones in box by box. I really like the outcome of this installation because of the shape of this bone. It gave the installation an interior as well as the outer shape. The bones started to cross over one another in shape. You can see it a little in the photos but you really had to interact with it to get the full effect. The second installation was in a field and that installation turned out really nice as well. I had to stomp all the grass down where the bones was going to sit. So technically I was making wheat circles in a hay field. So after I got the ground somewhat settled I started setting the bones up. This was more difficult because I haven’t played with these new bones as much as I have wanted. The stacking or locking of Bone shapes was a bit touchy. But I got a nice form set up and got it photographed before the wind came and blew it down. This was not just a little wind it was pretty rough like you had to lean into it a bit and the bones just couldn’t hold it’s own. So I had to pack it up and get it back to the studio. I will reinstall it again but in a new form and new place. That makes me happy because I have been playing with it’s new shape and I think I have a great installation to look forward to next week.
       I am still taking my ceramics class in St. Louis at Krueger’s. This week I brought in some bones to play with and I ended up with some turtle bowls. I basically made slabs and threw them in the street to pick up the texture of the road on one side. The flipped it over and placed it on top of the turtle shell to pick up the texture of the shell and its shape as well. So the inside of the bowl a turtle design and on the outside the road.  Any symbolism there? Well after driving two hours on back roads you see a lot of speed bumps (dead turtles) so I made a piece in memory of them and also they look really cool. Next week I bring in a cow skull and do a bowl out of it by basically doing the same process. Hope it turns out but I won’t know till next week. Thank you for your ongoing support and remember to check out my Website WWW.AARONKENT.ORG
Love ya!