Extremity

Jessica Swank

 

The piece Extremity features a sculptural form in the center of the frame with a shallow depth of field. The form is made from found bark, with spray insulation replacing the missing structure of the tree trunk. The spray insulation was painted to match my own skin tone, forming a fleshy yet structural component of the piece. On the front of the branch, silicone castings taken from walnut shells seem to thrive off the surface like barnacles. Their shape is reminiscent of tiny brains, and yet each of them still hold dirt from the inside of the original walnut shell. The piece as a whole is a constructed extremity from a tree, a branch that has been replaced. The extracted silicone walnuts also serve as an extension of their original source, while mimicking pieces of the human body, such as the brain and skin.