mel chin

Study for Revival Field: Netherlands Brassica napus


1993
zinc metal point on modeling paste, blotter paper ground, zinc/cadmium button, drilled plexi-glass frame
27 1/2 x 27 1/2 x 4 inches

A series of drawings, in zinc/cadmium metal point on specially saturated and prepared ground on heavyweight white blotter paper, were executed as botanical studies for the Revival Field project. The cast zinc/cadmium buttons attached to the drawings indicate the metal targets of the plant accumulators. The choice of blotter paper gives further association to the context of absorption. In this case, Brassica napus, a plant used in the test sites, is a known metal-tolerant species. The frame is specially designed for the drawing by the artist. Holes are drilled into the Plexiglass® box to accommodate “breathing/oxidation” of the drawing.