Rena Luelle Bussinger "Coral Wreckage"

Rena Luelle Bussinger (Seattle)

Coral Wreckage, 2023
Mixed Media: mixed fiber reclaimed yarns, cotton embroidery floss, candle wax, pigment, woven cotton textile backing, vintage frame, latex paint
10.75" square including frame

Statement: This piece grew out of experiments with finger crochet, knotting and embroidery techniques to build freeform sculptural forms with reclaimed yarns I have collected from thrift stores, yard and estate sales over several years. Initially I was inspired by mosses and lichens of the Pacific Northwest's coastal rainforests but also imagined these sculptural forms as resembling coral. Drawing on the shapes and colors of corals from the Red List sources, I sculpted a decorative coral arrangement such as collectors of preserved marine specimens might frame and display as art. Instead of genuine coral, I use entirely reclaimed materials that might otherwise end up in the waste stream, contaminating waterways and further endangering oceanic species, whether coral or salmon. The elements of the piece include fibers and textiles; recycled candle wax, a frame painted with a paint sample I found in a recently abandoned storage unit in the building I rent workspace.