A Case for Bocce

A Case for Bocce

Elder, Baylie

Artist Statement: I come from a background of traditional artmaking. However, I have fallen for a medium far from what I thought I would be doing when I first came to Mizzou: landscape design. My work completes empty spaces, brightens corners, and brings people together. I seek to show my dissected thought process in these pieces—the same property, but with each amendment the landscape grows more realistic, so much so that you can “walk” through it by its final draft. I make changes, I add embellishments, and by the end an empty yard can become another art form. My tools are a pencil and computer mouse, and my media is plants. The challenge that comes with using a living media is the best part. I must consider a color palette that changes with each season, how certain plant textures will look layered over one another, and especially the care and longevity of the design for a client. There is a lot to know, and I have learned so much already since starting this journey, but I have most importantly found that what I do is not so different from my beginning with traditional artmaking, except by the end of the hard work I get to exist within my own piece —a living, breathing community of leaves, branches, and flowers. There is no greater payoff for creating than to express myself while also manifesting a vision for someone else to experience and enjoy for years to come.

2021

Rights held by author.

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