Adam and Eve go shopping - sand sculpture

Every good citizen is reminded to at all times be a consumer for the good of the economy. Buy, buy, buy even if you don't need it. Got something old? throw it away and buy a new one, it's nice and shiny. Don't worry if you can't afford it we can also give you a loan of debt based money. Just keep consuming that's the important thing or else the whole system will collapse and then you'll go to hell.

In the year of our lord 2000 I was invited to this wonderful project in Glasgow, Scotland. Money was quite flush at that time as western countries got in full swing of the debt based economy and all were happy because we got through the millennium bug without a plane falling from the sky.

Let's get the team/ theme together

Along with me came another Irish artist Clodagh Emo and we were teamed up with Danish artist Henriette and were given freedom to create whatever we so pleased. The location which was Georges square is smack bang in the middle of the city and the location called for something monumental.

So we set about trying the put the 'mental' back in 'monumental'.

All consuming

We all had a similar notions about the way our society was going and wanted to create a piece depicting this new religion of consumerism. Adam and Eve sprang to mind and the symbolism in that story now teleported to the 21st century where they now go shopping for their apples.

I created Adam and the shopping trolley while my teammates worked on Eve. I don't remember why I gave Adam the looks of a soviet Era man, maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time and added to the monumental aspect.

Instead of a fig leaf I gave him the grill of a Mercedes car with the meaning that we now cover over our inadequacies with expensive bling.

For the Mercedes symbol I cheated a little. Trying to carve something so delicate in sand was impossible so I mixed sand with PVA glue and modeled it on some tin foil, then popped it in the oven for 30 mins at a medium heat. This little piece eventually became one of the organisers keyring for his Merc campervan key.

The trolley was definitely a challenge and I really enjoyed trying to make the mesh work as delicate as possible and the apple completely separated within. One false move and the whole thing would be destroyed but luckily and with a steady hand I was able to complete it.

The legs of the characters and wheels of the trolley were enlarged to comic porportions, mainly for support though I do feel it added to the compostion.

It was a fun sculpture to work on and I do think I learned and developed some good skills on this one. Also making something that had a message for the public hopefully got people thinking and not just consuming.

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Ps

Thank you for joining me again or for this first time.
On Steemit I am documenting and sharing my 22 years of ephemeral sculpture so they can live forever on the blockchain. So follow me on this journey as I hope with time you will see my work improve as well as my writing.
From time to time I will also post from Steepshot letting you know what I am working on at the moment.
Below you will find some of my recent posts.

Three materials - sand sculpture

Africa - sand sculpture

I hope you'll join me again soon.
@ammonite