Hopkins Dome Project: Winter Garden
Concept of the Project:
This transparent dome is a miniature ecosystem.
The artwork depicts rain, snow, flowers, and plants.
Water is the basis of life on our earth.
It repeats its life cycle by changing its form.
Flowers and plants also repeat their lives nourishing the next generations.
In the natural world, all the living things follow the circle of life.
Most of the pieces in the dome were created with recycled materials, such as plastic egg cartons and plastic grocery bags. Using recycled materials and making something new symbolize the repeating generations and the circle of life. At night, solar powered lights will illuminate the dome. My use of the recycled materials and sustainable energy reflect the important concept of this project.
There are small mushrooms in the dome that are made with plastic grocery bags. Because most plastic waste is not recycled, it has become one of our planet's major environmental concerns. I read an interesting and hopeful article about fungus/mushrooms that can digest plastic. Inspired by this amazing news, the crocheted mushrooms were created and titled
I wish I were THE mushroom. The mushrooms in the article created a momentum that the plastic can follow back to the correct circle of life.
My original design for this dome project Winter Garden included the viewer entering the dome to more intimately experience this small ecosystem. However, current COVID-19 mandates prevent this. Although observing from the outside, my hope is that the viewer will still be able to feel connected and a part of the ecosystem in the dome, and consider the importance of living a sustainable life style.
Materials:
Snow: Crocheted Cotton Thread, Wire, Swivels
3D Paper Doilies: Laser-cut Paper, Glue, Paper Brads, Swivels
Flowers: Crocheted Plastic Grocery Bags, Fishing Line
Mushrooms: Crocheted Plastic Grocery Bags, Logs
Rain: Plastic Egg Cartons, Wire
Water Lilies: Packing Foam, Fishing Line
Other: Solar Lights
