Ryan Gander, We are only human
Commission/Exhibition for Invisible Dust
£3,000 awarded
Ryan Gander’s sculpture references the form of a dolos – the massive concrete blocks scattered along shorelines in great quantities, where they absorb the impact of waves to reduce coastal erosion.
About the work
Created in the shape of a dolos, a form normally used as a defence to prevent coastal erosion, Gander’s sculpture is purposely only partially formed as it is intended to be completed by snowfall.
Gander used a computer programme to simulate snowfall onto the dolos. By subtracting this volume of snow from the original shape, he created an artwork that would only be ‘finished’ when it snows. Due to the changes in weather conditions caused by global warming, this work may never be seen in its original ‘complete’ form.
Sited near Scarborough Castle on the North Yorkshire coastline, the location for the artwork was chosen to draw attention to the rise in sea levels, coastal erosion, and the effect on marine life caused by climate change. The work is emblematic of humans’ relationship with the sea, and our attempts to control and mitigate elemental forces, rather than working with and for them.
This work forms part of Wild Eye, an ambitious project developed by the award-winning art and science organisation Invisible Dust. Wild Eye aims to encourage a deeper understanding of wildlife found across the North Yorkshire coastline, and to create new art and nature experiences for local communities and visitors to the area.
About the artist
Ryan Gander OBE RA (b. 1976, Chester, UK) has established an international reputation through artworks taking many different forms, ranging from sculpture, apparel, curating and writing to architecture, design, painting, typefaces, publications and performance. He is a committed educator, having taught at international art institutions and universities, and has written and presented television programmes on contemporary art and culture.
Video courtesy Invisible Dust.