Candle Falls

A 2011 Project from Illinois State

Stacked layers and undulating curves are found in many places in nature, like caves and canyons. Caves contain growing stalagmites and stalactite from thousands of years of dripping earth. Canyons are a result of large-scale erosion. The many layers found within canyon walls are a great testament to the history of this earth, as well as nature’s astounding beauty. Along with the idea of flowing water over falls, these natural sources were the basis for the form of the descending curves.

While reviewing Brian Dettmer’s work and searching for similar artists, I found Kylie Stillman’s precisely-cut books. Both artists cut books in a way that makes a statement more that is not entirely focused on the narratives inside. I was first formally inspired to use layers of cut paper to create an image out of the relief. Looking at Stillman’s work brought me to a natural subject matter to integrate with the glass mass-produced candleholder.

Various colors and thicknesses of paper were used to clearly show groupings of layers, as would be found in a sample of Earth’s crust or canyon walls. The colors were not directly representative of layers of thousands of years of dirt, but referencing the browns and blues of ground and water. The use of the candleholder as a bowl and nature-inspired colors first present the viewer with an idea of running water, but can also be seen simply as a object showing layers of earth, or even an embodiment of the movement and shape of smoke or wind.