Maia McNeil - 2023

Artist's Statement

How do we define the state of the earth? Is it thriving, or dying? To better access this very question, scientists divided the earth into nine planetary boundaries. These boundaries are climate, land systems, biodiversity, fresh water, ocean chemistry, novel entities, aerosols, stratospheric ozone, and nutrients. My sculpture “Broken Boundaries” is an interpretation of these nine boundaries. Made from ceramic stoneware, the material is drawn from the earth. Much like the pressures placed on our planet, the clay is pushed to its limits, heated, and fundamentally changed throughout the creative process. Each of the nine modules, representing an individual boundary, are made from slabs, or flat sheets of clay. The slabs of clay are ripped, or torn, an allusion to the shifting state of our planet. The degree to which each module is torn is in reference to the state of the individual boundary. They either fall into the safe zone, danger zone, or high risk zone. Some of the nine modules (or boundaries) are broken completely, with their remnants scattered beneath the rest of the sculpture—hinting towards the state of our planet if serious changes are not made. To further stress this idea, the sculpture is suspended with fishing line. Such a precarious display reminds viewers of the fragility of the current state of our planet. Could a strong gust of wind bring the whole thing crashing down? Could another rise of one degree Celsius in the ocean kill all coral? How many more species can go extinct before entire ecosystems collapse? How much more CO2 can the planet hold before it proves fatal? Such questions must be addressed. It is my hope that those who view my sculpture will begin to understand the gravity of the situation and do what is in their power to save our planet.