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ARTIST STATEMENT
Grass raises many points. Blades of grass cut from post consumer tin containers reflect our consumer society where we think that we can buy everything including happiness and a green lawn.
Cut from post consumer, recycled tin cans each blade of grass is a printed with images and advertising.
Ironically, Rance Crain, the editor-in-chief of Advertising Age, is quoted in Buy-ology, Truth and Lies About Why WE Buy that "Advertisers will not be satisfied until they put their mark on every blade of grass."
Grass lawns luxuriate in conspicuous consumption as if to say, "I own this space but I don't need to use it." "Keep off the grass". However, perfect grass is sustained only by spending time and money at an even greater cost to our environment.
Outside of the sculptural presence and artistic impact, this sculpture carries a very serious environmental message. We put tons of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides on our lawns which is then washed into our ground water and surface water. In the Unites States, the lawn, or “turfgrass,” is the single largest irrigated crop, three times larger than corn. (50) Add the pollution involved in lawn mowers and you have a huge environmental impact.
AVAILABILITY FOR TRAVEL of Grass/'gras/ installation.
These sculptures are available for exhibition. Please inquire. There are several smaller Grass sculptures and one larger 9" x 9' grass lawn available for exhibition. Please inquire with the artist at: bermaid@harriete-estel-berman [dot] info or use the CONTACT page on this web site.
The EXHIBITION
Organized by Harriete Estel Berman grass 'gras\ highlights a nine foot square “lawn of grass” made with 32,400 individual blades cut from recycled steel containers from consumer products. This grass sculpture highlights the grass lawn as an ultimate consumer icon of American culture. Mounted on the walls surrounding the grass are numerous Plexiglas-mounted grass articles published over the past 60 years that show the manifestation of grass as a symbol of suburban utopian living in contrast to the detrimental effect it actually has on our environment. Also accompanying the installation is a grass video about the construction and motivation behind the sculpture, making this conceptual installation accessible to a wide audience.
POSTCARD
Dramatic 4¼” x 18” color postcards portraying a close-up image of the grass are available for mailing announcements and publicity. Example postcard available upon request. Each postcard can be cut into three individual postcards. Postcard is $3.00 retail.
CHILDREN ART PROJECTS
The exhibition package includes two art project ideas for children and adults. 1) A drawing of the grass for the children to color with crayons or draw details with pencils. 2) Collage samples for an art project appropriate for elementary and junior high students. Materials needed are paper and recycled Sunday newspaper advertising supplements. The projects will help the children think about the role of art and consumerism in our society. Additional dialog could include issues about recycling, and the environmental impact of grass.
grass \'gras\ VIDEO
A nine-minute video accompanies the installation. This video grass \'gras\ exposes the roots of Harriete Estel Berman's metal sculpture. The construction process is revealed, from recycled tin cans in the studio, to the marathon assembly at which the 32,400 pieces of the metal grass were inserted into the base. Grazing freely from studio to the suburban “lawnscape”, the video playfully provides the museum audience with material for a deeper understanding of the sculpture’s historical, ecological and cultural themes.
Producer WILL ZAVALA is a video producer whose work ranges from personal profile to historical documentary. His films and videos have been screened in festivals in the United States and Germany, won awards in the U.S. and appeared in local PBS broadcasts.
Music: Beth Custer
INSTALLATION for grass \'’gras sculpture
Installation for the 9' x 9' lawn is simple. Thirty six separate panels are placed on the floor side by side.
The overall dimension can be rearranged to be a rectangle.
Estimated time to install grass…three hours or less including the didactic panels.
The didactic panels include color copies of historic paintings, vintage magazine articles and contemporary articles mounted permanently in Plexiglas. These are to be mounted on the wall. Description labels for magazine images included with the exhibition.
Photo Credit: Ansen Seale
Installation at the Southwest Center for Arts and Crafts, Texas, U.S.