Mild steel ¼ inch rod, 20 gauge copper wire, green and orange streamers, variety of recycled paper, cardboard, pea gravel, burlap fabric, found object: metal planter.
16” x 12” x 9”

When provided with Tension as the prompt for this project, the idea of a blooming cactus was the forefront of my mind. Cacti are adapted to survive harsh desert conditions; thick skin, shallow roots, and a slow metabolism all help the plant to retain what little resources it can scrounge. They are the very definition of stubborn.
Beyond survival, the contrast of a cactus’s smooth, supple skin and flower petals with the sharpness of its spines also holds an interesting tension. I recall a trip I took with my family spending time in Big Bend State Park a few years ago. We emersed ourselves in the dry, arid landscape for days hiking and sightseeing, admiring the landscapes and trying to see what little wildlife that we could find. On the last day, however, everything around us changed dramatically with a warm, summer rain. The dull cacti that spotted the landscape, previously so easily overlooked, bloomed with vibrant color. Bees and small birds attracted to the new colors and smells made the scenery come to life.
There is great tension between having spines to ward away touch, and blooming into a beautiful flower to encourage attention.
I wanted to contribute to the tension of this subject matter by adding prickly spines to the steel frame to pierce and tear through the skin, to escape. And at the same time, to craft a flower out of the exact same wire that invites instead of wards.