Pavonis Giron, Michal Schwab, and Tony Zelazoski, “Divergent Fates”
Mentor: Yevgeniya Kaganovich, Art & Design
Poster #215

Professor Yevgeniya Kaganovitch researches the evolution of material through process in her body of work entitled Divergent Fates, which focuses on iterations of wood through various transformative actions. These transformations scrutinize questions of sustainability, the role of the human hand upon materials and environments, and material agency. Kaganovitch’s research is multi-faceted, requiring the team to work with grafting young trees into the forms of chairs in Lynden Sculpture Garden, creating facsimiles of logs with layered newspaper, and using reclaimed materials to recreate the growth patterns of trees expressed through the forms of chairs. While these projects are ongoing, certain outcomes have been revealed in the processes of their creation; namely, the transformation of wood through various forms, such as recycled paper, has required the team to research the parameters of working with these newfound materials through hands-on experimentation. Due to the seasonality of grafting, the primary focus for the team during the beginning half of this semester has been in explorations of the newspaper logs. Responding to the artificial grain structure of layered newspapers and the plasticity of the adhesive used in this process has provided us with a material that remains somewhat malleable, even when dry, which responds well to shaping with outside pressure, similar to greenwood, yet can be cut and sanded as easily as more commonly found kiln dried lumber. Research into grafting and the newspaper material’s utility remains ongoing, yet both provide the research team and the broader audience with renewed concepts of sustainable planting and harvesting practices, and a new potential use for paper waste in a renewed form.