All images © Grace Cooper Dodds, shared with permission
Protruding in a meandering fashion like tree branches or the sprawling overgrowth of flowering vines, the flamboyant botanical sculptures that sprout from Megan Bogonovich’s Norwich studio capture the wondrous moments of when “bucolic tips over into batty.”
Her workspace is tucked in a wooded area, leaving Bogonovich constantly surrounded by lush landscapes. “When I look around my neighborhood this time of year,” she says, “nature seems so verdant and powerful. I think the fragility of the material and the quantity of sculptures have mirrored the natural world in the way that plants are abundant, but vulnerable and highly pluckable.”
Bogonovich’s sculptures (previously) embody the delicate relationship between humans and the environment. Fascinated by nature’s ability to adapt to human presence, she sculpts cylindrical structures that twist and turn in different directions, perhaps implying the irregularity of the landscapes that her superempirical organisms might thrive in. Spiky and bumpy textures cover vibrant surfaces, emphasizing the idiosyncrasies of repetition and pattern that are so prevalent in organic forms.
Though each sculpture exists “in the realm of exuberance and glee,” she adds, “I know people see a sinister undercurrent, and that is definitely true of the work.” In a world so apprehensive toward shifting climates, invasive species, and future existence altogether, the artist’s ceramic iterations offer a feeling of bountiful pleasure.
Bogonovich just finished a residency at the Vermont Studio Center, and you can find more work on her Instagram and website.
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