On April 16, the Topsfield Town Library welcomed artist Elizabeth Knowles, the sculptor of “Gourd” which is on display outside the library this year as part of our Temporary Sculpture Program (funded by the Gould Trust), to give a talk about her sculpture, her artistic process, inspirations, and more.

View the video of the installation of the work here.

Natural patterns inspire Elizabeth Knowles’s work. Some are biological patterns at the cellular level of organisms. Others are geological patterns found in the earth’s natural landscapes. Through painting, sculpture, and site-specific installation, she explores how dynamic patterns connect landscapes and life forms, physiology and physics, death and detritus, growth and form.

Concerning our display piece, “Gourd,” Elizabeth states: “I hope that it brings a little whimsy and fun…a little celebration of nature around the library as people walk in.”

“Irregular or fragmented patterns in nature replicate on differing scales with each part containing a similar structure to the whole. Starting with the most simple and building to the more complex, my sculptural process becomes a recreation of the interaction of the different levels of life. Ranging from the atomistic to larger organizational systems, these patterns reveal the intricate interface between the various levels of life and the mysterious connection between them.”

Visit Elizabeth Knowles website: www.elizabethknowles.com.

This presentation was sponsored by the Topsfield Library Art Committee.