Plunder II - Bespoke Paper Art Sculpture
Close-up of rose and cream paper flowers with dark red birds flying upward, Plunder II by Clare Celeste Börsch
Full view of a paper sculpture fading from deep red to cream, with birds taking flight, Plunder II by Clare Celeste Börsch
Side view of the red-to-cream botanical form on its black base, Plunder II by Clare Celeste Börsch
Detail of paper blossoms and birds lifting from the top of the sculpture, Plunder II by Clare Celeste Börsch
Front view of the sculpture with hanging pale strands and a small coral form at its base, Plunder II by Clare Celeste Börsch
Tall view of the sculpture's cascade of red and cream paper blossoms, Plunder II by Clare Celeste Börsch
This work examines the colonization of the Americas by Portuguese and Spanish powers—a theme connecting my Latin American upbringing with my current European home. The composition moves from white to rust to black, where a waterfall drops into an ocean across which a Spanish colonial ship sails. The colors represent to me the plundering of the natural ecosystems and are reminiscent of bleached coral, the red earth of Brazil, and the black of petrol.