A Natural State explores how people express a love for nature by shaping, twisting, carving, and weaving materials collected from the landscape. Some of the arts and crafts featured in A Natural State reveal the cultural heritage of South Carolina, while others employ concepts from the world of modern art. For more about this project, visit the credits page.
TO GET STARTED: Click on a landform region below to learn more about these artists and how they use the uniqueness of their environment to enhance their artistic vision. To learn more about each landform region, visit the Where Am I? section.
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From across the room, Sanctuary appears domestic and familiar—a collection of chairs, a birdhouse, a rug and display shelf invite momentary retreat from the gallery. Closer inspection reveals the...
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Molding Clay After the potter blends his clay, he must knead it in order to remove any lumps, soft areas and air holes which might be contained in the product. If the clay hasn’t been kneaded properly...
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The walls of Earthen Cycle were created using a rammed earth technique. A mixture of rounded stones from a local riverbed, Portland cement, and clay were poured into a wooden form. Rust and his...
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The outline of the design is filled in with the broad side of the wood-burning tool. The process of burning in the body of the design may take ten or more hours depending on the size and complexity of...
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Rock art at the Hagood Mill site is open to many interpretations. Is the imagery sacred, documentation of historic events, part of a simple amusement, or of a larger pictographic language? The answer...
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Extended ephemeral work lasts for several years while encouraging the artist and viewer to revisit the sculpture throughout its life cycle. Parker describes ephemeral elements of his work in the...
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Weaving. After Peter has securely attached the broom straw to the handle, he begins to weave the base of the straw into a uniform shape and pattern around the handle.
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To float properly, the body of the duck must be hollowed out with a hand drill and chisel. Buoyancy and stability are achieved by combining a hollow interior with lead weights applied to the underside...
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When Arianne is satisfied with a layer of color, she "blocks" the layer with a coat of melted wax. The dried wax prevents new layers of color from entering areas that are complete.
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Wood destined to become part of a canoe is kept dry in a loft above Phil's workshop. A tour through the loft reveals the different woods found in Phil's work including red cedar, bloodwood, walnut...
