Developing an Art Collection

Developing an Art Collection  - The Land of Giant Insects

In 1999 Martin Pierce began a journey into bronze casting with 8 collections of door hardware and cabinet pulls. Forward to 2022 where the road has forked, and a wide tributary is winding its way to a collection of art sculptures.

Martin Pierce and his first collection have just been featured on Artsy Shark, a site that  helps  promote artists and their work. While the fictional story behind  this collection is ongoing, we thought it timely to begin telling the tale and  by explaining the fictional landscape and it’s characters.

A Tale of Giants and Insectophile Humans  -

In today’s world, insects and birds lack the social and environmental importance they deserve. Humans in this world dominate the planet and their demands are contrary to the well-being of other species. In the new and  fictional world, Martin Pierce, through sculpture and painting reverses the relative size of humans to insects with the former becoming diminutive and the latter becoming giants. The fictional scale also gives rise to a new relationship and the adversarial human is reinvented as an insect loving humanoid. While the relationship between these 2 species continues to evolve it is built on an agrarian lifestyle where humanoids and insects farm together and jointly partake in the fruits of their labors.

Landscape

The landscape is one of mangroves, yuccas, and bougainvillea with swaths of land cleared for farming. The topography is varied with craggy cliffs and rolling hills and lower lying valleys and swamps.

Characters

Grasshopper – resting on a mushroom and casting his stupendous shadow over the humanoid hiding in the mushrooms spongy fold. Both characters make their appearance in annual sporting events.

10”W x 9”D x 14”H

Stag Beetle – at least 2 varieties exist, the shiny suave steely and darker mottled bronze.  They too compete in annual events but also play a key role as farmers  tilling the soil ready for planting. The stag beetle makes his sculptural appearance as a runner sometimes accompanied by a humanoid rider and as one of 2 adversarial beetles sparring on a piece of oak bark.

20”W x 15”D x 6”H

Hornet – shown feeding on a large apple with an irritating humanoid for company

13”W x 10”D x 13”H

Wasp – portrayed as a solo runner or accompanied by a humanoid rider

11”W x 8”D x 6”H

Jay – flying toward the east or toward the west

17”W x 12”D x 4”H

Dung beetle and Raven – following soon

A Trip to Borrego Springs - Art & Wildlife

ART

We recently returned to Borrego Springs, a destination known for the blooming cacti and wildflowers of spring and the always present big sky where stars are on display against a pitch-black sky. I feel that vacations are enhanced when they have a focal point so was delighted to attend an art show featuring Lisa Meldrum’s wonderful collection of mid-century miniature houses. The exhibition is on display till November 28th at the “House of Borrego Springs” a gallery run by Elizabeth Rodriguez at El Patio on Palm Canyon Drive. The gallery is fittingly located in a mid-century modern building designed by Richard M. Zerbe. If you are a fan of this period, then Borrego Springs is well worth a visit offering a more tranquil and less manicured desert retreat to the better-known neighboring Palm Springs.

Photo Courtesy of Lisa Meldrum - Exhibition of Mid-Century Miniature Houses at House of Borrego Springs

Photo Courtesy of Lisa Meldrum - Exhibition of Mid-Century Miniature Houses at House of Borrego Springs

WILDLIFE

Borrego Springs is also rich in wild-life and fall is the mating season for the Peninsular Bighorn Sheep. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a great place to hike, and you may see the bighorns at one of the watering holes.

Peninsular Bighorn Ram Photo by Martin Pierce

Using a zoom lens from a discreet distance we were able to capture their regal elegance and observed a family of bighorns grazing. The ram’s horns are remarkably sculptural with clearly defined ridges. While the ewes also have horns as you can see below, they are smaller and less defined. The Peninsular Bighorn is a sub-species of the Rocky Mountain big horn and the state park plays a critical role in the survival of this endangered animal. Disease, loss of habitat and habitat degradation all play a role in this animals decline. To find out more about the history and characteristics of this splendid mammal visit the Bighorn Institute a non-profit organization devoted to conserving the Bighorns dwindling population.

Top: Ewe Left: Ram Right: Ewe photos by Martin Pierce

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Bighorn Institute

Anza Borrego Desert State Park

House of Borrego Springs - Elizabeth Rodriquez:

Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce - useful guide to events, the park and dining and lodging spots

SCULPTURE

When observing the powerful beauty of Bighorn ram’s horns, we were reminded of a smaller set of horns used by the male stag beetle in a similar manner to attract mates and deter younger males. In one of Martin Pierce’s insect sculptures the stag beetle appears as an oversized steel warrior engaged in battle on a background of bronze bark. The sculpture measures 35”W x 15”D x 13”H is part of a limited edition of 30.