On Earth Day, thinking of the Earth . . . I found artist Terry Berlier.

Terry Berlier

Reclaimed Time, Terry Berlier
salvaged wood

2′ x 2′ x 2″

Berlier works primarily with sculpture and expanded media.  She often focuses on everyday objects, the environment. With “Reclaimed Time”, she reflects on the “perspective of deep time and long-term thinking, both into the future and into the past.” (from her website)

Terry Berlier

Long Time II, Terry Berlier
Plywood, aircraft cable

In “Long Time II”, Berlier created the sculpture in Girona, Spain. There are 61 rings in the sculpture, referring to Professor Nalini Nadkarni’s research comparing the number of trees in the world to the population. Back in 2008 Nadkarni did a study using data from NASA, finding that the world’s human population as of Dec. 31, 2008,  was approx.  6,456,789,877.  It turns out that in 2008, we had about 61 trees on the planet per person.

Terry Berlier

Core Sampling (Tick Tock), Terry Berlier
FGR-95, dyes, steel, motors, MAKE Controller, computer, sensor, microscope camera, PVC, aluminum, pocket watch, MAX

“Core Sampling” is pretty interesting – it creates sound from handmade pseudo core samples.  See and hear it in action:  http://www.terryberlier.com/core.html

We all know the common things that come from trees, like paper, books, & furniture.  Here are some things you might not have thought of:  buttons, chewing gum, cork, crayons, linoleum, luggage, pingpong balls, rubber, tambourines, tires and turpentine. (compiled by Professor Nalini Nadkarni’s graduate students)


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