gregory euclide: microcosmic world made from park trash

‘held within what hung open and made to lie without escape’ by gregory euclide, 2011 acrylic, acrylic caulk,cast paper from central park boulders, eurocast, fern, foam, goldenrod, hosta, lawn fertilizer, moss, paper, pencil, petg, sedum, sponge, wood 7.5 ft x 14 x 5 ft image © gregory euclide

american artist gregory euclide has developed a microcosmic landscape installation entitled ‘held within what hung open and made to lie without escape’ made from park trash. the work possesses a landscape painting measuring 7 ft by 5 ft resting at eye level. it is set within a gilded frame that is interrupted by paper-as-water flowing from the canvas into the gallery space which then evaporates from a riverbed. boulders are cast from the rocks taken from central park, while the grass is formed from glue, paint and hair. on the right side of the work, several cut plastic bottles are clustered together, existing as miniature isolated environments within the piece. euclide created several dioramas constructed from found trash such as plastic, foam, sponge, and fertilizer he accrued while walking in a park. these items helped sculpt a world depicting what the artist sees as the ‘same kind of fake control over nature that allows us to be comfortable with the destruction of it‘.

the installation was constructed for museum of arts and design’s ‘otherworldly: optical delusions and small realities’ exhibition in new york city. see our previous coverage of the show here.

water falling from the canvas into the gallery space image © gregory euclide

evaporation detail image © gregory euclide

each of the cut plastic bottles exist as a microcosm within the piece image © gregory euclide

image © gregory euclide

depiction of the work in progress in museum of art and design’s studio space image © gregory euclide

the grass is made from glue, paint and human hair image © gregory euclide

the framed work which comes to life within the greater piece is first painted by the artist image © gregory euclide

conceptual sketches 1 and 2 of the installation image © gregory euclide

the fourth sketch for ‘held within what hung open and made to lie without escape’ image © gregory euclide