{"id":1354,"date":"2023-12-13T04:07:34","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T04:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/?page_id=1354"},"modified":"2024-02-08T20:55:40","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T20:55:40","slug":"putting-the-pieces-back-together","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/index.php\/putting-the-pieces-back-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting the pieces back together"},"content":{"rendered":"

Putting the pieces back together<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cPutting the pieces back together\u201d is a healing art piece<\/b> that has been created to help when dealing with loss and grief<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

During such a challenging life experience, we navigate through the intense emotions of denial<\/b>, anger<\/b>, bargaining<\/b>, and depression<\/b>, which eventually lead to acceptance<\/b> and the ability to move forward. Self-care and preservation are of the most importance, and putting together the pieces of a broken heart may help remind ourselves of who we are, and why we matter.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

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“I developed an interaction with this Eucalyptus as I experienced an unexpected loss in my life. I noticed its fallen branches that collapsed on the ground, and all the broken bark laying around. Using compressed soil to form a bas-relief in the shape of a heart, I collected and arranged some of the shattered pieces and turned them into a mosaic. Examining and rearranging what we have left, allows us to create a new base for our unforeseen future, which will reveal itself in time.
\nMay this piece help you heal, and find yourself again.<\/em>”
\nAstrid Chevallier<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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“Putting the pieces back together” – Prototype<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This environmental art piece started at the Arboretum at UC Santa Cruz.
\nI gathered broken pieces of bark from a large Eucalyptus, and arranged them together, like a mosaic. The resulting texture evokes cobblestones and lizard skin.
\nNote that I created this abstract piece one day prior to my heart getting broken.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mosaic made of bark<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As I have been navigating the roller coaster of conflicting emotions that came from a sudden and unexpected major loss in my life, I started to envision a heart shaped piece. I would use the mosaic technique to express the idea of putting the pieces back together. A compressed soil base will hold the pieces of bark in place.<\/span><\/p>\n

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“Putting the pieces back together” – Sketch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I collected samples on site, which I used to make a prototype in my studio.
\nThe soil – which is mostly clay in this part of California – has been cleaned up, water has been added, and I manually compressed lumps and assembled them in the shape of a heart. I then added the bark on top, and pressed the pieces into the earth base.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
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“Putting the pieces back together” – Shape on site<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The prototype has been presented at the Open Studio at UC Santa Cruz. A string connected the piece to the campus map, to reveal the location of the on-site version that I am building at the Arboretum.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\" \u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Meanwhile, at the Arboretum…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Construction, session 1<\/b> – It took me a while to decide where the installation would go. After walking around for a while, I returned to the Eucalyptus where everything started and realized that’s where the heart belongs. The location is slightly out of the way, which is a protected spot for a healing process.<\/span><\/p>\n

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“Putting the pieces back together” – Shape, on site.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Construction, session 2<\/b> – I tried to make a wooden structure by weaving branches, bark, and grasses together, but I ended up deciding it wasn’t necessarily the best way to construct that piece. Instead I collected soil (thanks to the gophers and the ground squirrels who dig around, so I don’t have to). I mixed it with water, and laid down a first layer.<\/span><\/p>\n

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“Putting the pieces back together” – Base layer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Construction, session 3<\/b> – I replicated the process I used for the prototype: I added water to some soil and I literally got my hands dirty, forming lumps and shaping them as an outside wall for the heart shape. Then I poured two layers of a more liquid mix inside the wall. I added a more solid little heart in the center (the heart of the heart) under which I placed some of my hair, as a gift to the earth and a connection to the place. By then the rain has gotten quite heavy, and I was soaked when I left!<\/span><\/p>\n

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“Putting the pieces back together” – Adding compacted soil<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\"\"\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"\"<\/p>\n

Construction, session 4<\/b> – coming soon…<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Putting the pieces back together \u201cPutting the pieces back together\u201d is a healing art piece that has been created to help when dealing with loss and grief. During such a challenging life experience, we navigate through the intense emotions of denial, anger, bargaining, and depression, which eventually lead to acceptance and the ability to move […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1362,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1354","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1354"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1354"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1426,"href":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1354\/revisions\/1426"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.astridchevallier.com\/finearts\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}