Greenbox Transformed

Photos by Denny Henry

My floral box starts to come alive at a critique in the studio. I'm pleased with the ways the colors interact and the overall sculpture shape.

Un-Boxed

I returned to the studio the next day to solve the problem of the boxiness of the sculpture I worked on yesterday. I decided to subtract aspects of it by cutting out negative shapes. It's starting to feel more comfortable to me and much more organic.

Larger and larger boxes...

I decided to try working with larger boxes for my upcoming exhibition. I was able to get a wardrobe box from a friend. It was hard to tear the box to reveal the layers beneath. 

My challenge was to move beyond the box shape. It was all about transforming the box into something else. I left the studio that day feeling like I still had so much more work to do. 

Greenbox

As my deadline of April 20 loomed near for the installation of the NEXT graduate exhibition at the Corcoran, I had to step up my production. It was great experimenting with different colored boxes. This sculpture was created from a floral box sent to my house from my niece in Chicago for my birthday. I love the green printed exterior and the chocolate brown contrasted against the fluted corrugated board sandwiched between layers. Every box has a story. Photographing the sculptures added a whole new dramatic dimension.

Community Collaboration

As my deadline drew closer I enlisted the help of friends to help me tear the boxes. Everyone did their share of work. It helped a great deal.

Photo Explorations

After creating my cardboard installations, I began to photograph them and discovered that the variety of surfaces created some intriguing effects when light interacted with it. 

Cardboard Discovery

As I work more and more with the cardboard, I discover so much. To be as familiar with my material as possible is a goal. I discovered the range of materials inherent in a cardboard box, such as the smooth outer liner coupled with interior fluted or "honey combed" materials. There are a variety of tones of gray and brown in the box coloring. When photographed, the cardboard has a metal like appearance which was totally unexpectant.