Molly Sawyer is Adrift in her new Mason Fine Art show

The Atlanta-based sculptor brings the beaches of Maine and upstate New York to her new exhibition.

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Climate change, despite random politicians saying otherwise, is quite real. The balance between what we do and what’s good for the planet is a delicate one. Sculptor Molly Sawyer’s new work explores this sustainable balance as a human being and as an artist in her new exhibition, Adrift.

“I incorporate these objects into my practice as they represent the ongoing transformation of nature and of a place itself,” Sawyer says. “The work looks at the fleeting moments of the natural elements in our environment. The work is about balance: of natural forces, of materials, balance of emotions and of opposites.”

Sawyer collected driftwood from beaches in Maine and from the Hudson River in upstate New York for her show. She then rearranged them into sculptures and combined them with man-made materials like steel wool. It all calls back to our ever-changing climate and sustainability.

“Driftwood and river wood are not necessarily the result of climate change, but are a result of an increased number of major storms,” Sawyer says. “The effects these new weather patterns have on our resources is something that ‘Adrift In The Sea of Thought’ acts as a reminder of.”

Another important question she asks? How artists can be part of the balance by using sustainable materials in their practice. “The use of found organics as studio material is a type of recycling which draws focus to the natural world,” she says. 

Now she brings her new work back to Mason Fine Art, where she has exhibited numerous times over the past decade. 

Adrift opens at Mason Fine Art on Fri., April 8, at 6 p.m. and is free to the public.