Tendril Pod
Cast bronze
1996, Mary K. Seyfarth
Mary Seyfarth’s patinaed, cast-bronze plant sculpture is elegantly enigmatic in its depiction of nature’s perpetuity. An oval pod sways gently on a vertical stem, issuing a second pod, which begins to grow back into the plant. The spiral shape of the base—the plant’s “root system”—furthers the circle-of-life motif.
Artist Statement
“I think of ‘Tendril Pod’ as a quiet, intimate work best seen up close. As intended, its ‘growth’ is inside itself. The human scale of the sculpture is important. When approaching the work, the viewer’s system meets nature’s system on a one-to-one scale.”
Mary Seyfarth’s sculptures range from a clay-based “Garden Feet” series to her 20-foot-long “Jefferson’s Wall.” The latter and her 12-foot-tall “Next Step UP” sculpture—both made with ceramic bricks—were exhibited at Chicago’s “Pier Walk” exhibition. She has taught ceramics and sculpture at Columbia College, Chicago.
