The Valleys Are Always First

22"w x 29.5"h x 5.25"d

free-floating mounting on a wood panel and cleat hung;

ceramic sculpture of mixed media consisting of glazed clay elements combined with pit-fired clay elements

Throughout human settlement, valleys have often represented not only the easiest landscapes to settle but also the most fertile. The value of valleys for habitation is often the case for wildlife as well. This sculpture is an abstracted representation of the settlement of valleys and their altered state of geometric and homogeneous land uses. The surrounding hillsides often remain in their natural organic state. However these elevated locations are no guarantee that developments will not occur due to the scattered resource elements throughout. Society often has to decide on the balance of human and landscape values.