Initiatives > “Verdant Orb” by John Ruppert
Artist Statement
John Ruppert’s artistic practice is inspired by the landscape, the processes that have formed it, and humanity’s relationship to it. His work reveals both nature’s destiny and ongoing pattern of change, as well as human interference on a global scale.
Ruppert’s choice of chain-link fencing, a material not typically associated with sculpture, heightens our awareness of how we perceive boundaries and limits. His large-scale vessel forms define a space but also highlight the artificial nature of how we shape our surroundings, encouraging us to reimagine where things begin and where they end.
The series of chain-link fabric sculptures are an exploration of form, material, and light. The translucent objects become catalysts in the site and perform as perceptual devices or monitors in the landscape responding to and making us aware of the changing light and conditions of our surroundings.
The shape of the sculpture is determined by a combination of the structural characteristics of the fencing fabric, certain restrictions that Ruppert imposes to direct the form, and gravity. The material can perform simultaneously as a membrane and as a structure. It has a grain; in one direction it is rigid with great strength under tension, yet in another, it is loose and malleable and will collapse on itself.
The luminous green color represents spring and new beginnings. The green color is meant to interact with the foliage of the gardens during the growing season and act as a memory during the winter months.
News & More
- Home & Design “Forces of Nature“, May/June 2024
- East City Art “New Sculpture Verdant Orb by John Ruppert Installed at 400 K Street NW“, September 30, 2024
