Existing comment:
John Ruppert
Pumpkins, 1999
"'Pumpkins' are a symbol of the harvest and American agriculture. Carefully bred and nurtured during the growing season, certain varieties have the ability to grow to giant proportions, and as a result, fierce growing competitions have evolved nation wide. My 'Pumpkin Series' is a product of this hybridization process, cast from an original prize winning 700 lb pumpkin. It is oversized, burdened by its own weight to the point of exploding. Its size animates it, giving it an anthropomorphic presence, amplifying its fertile qualities. The cast 'Pumpkin' is a culmination of efforts and imagery. The hybridization is a result of efforts to control nature through agriculture, while the casting is a product of industry revealing the presence of natural forces caught in a frozen moment. The lightweight aluminum, referencing flight, is a contradiction to the pumpkins gravity-burdened form. 'Pumpkin Series' is an open-ended edition in reference to the agricultural industry's desire for creating multiples through hybridization or the cloning process. It is my intention to create many pumpkins for a variety of locations. When experiencing one grouping you will know there are others and that each isolated group is part of a greater collective." – John Ruppert, from his Artist Statement |