From Somewhere, Everything Comes

From Somewhere, Everything Comes - Drew C. S. Follansbee

Sculpture
Textile, PVC, plastic, wood, paper, animal bone, plant material. 3’ x 3’ x 8’

From Somewhere, Everything Comes is a participatory sculptural installation surrounding the concepts of universal time and the interconnected natures of the stories it necessarily hosts. It includes a number of sculptures in an immersive space, along with narrated poetry.

Drew C. S. Follansbee is an artist who works with various media, including sculptural installation, animal bones, poetry, bookbinding, and photography. In his work, he primarily focuses on the development of worlds, both real and fictional, the stories underlying them, and their animate and inanimate inhabitants. Partially inspired by his interest in anthropology, which he minored in, he tends to use art to explore the deep stories of the birth and development of history and time.

By inviting the audience to participate in the development of the piece, From Somewhere, Everything Comes directly involves itself in the intertwined existence of the universe, drawing attention to its role as an object with a history as long as the universe’s. Its collapsible frame is built of PVC pipe, and is walled with cloth and paper. Inside sits a humanoid figure, modeled from the artist’s own body and decorated in bone, accompanied by smaller auxiliary sculptures along with handmade votive bowls and handbound books as participatory elements. Dimly lit and heavily perfumed, the space is intended to evoke associations with ancient temples to emphasize a feeling of smallness and even, perhaps, submission in the participant. From Somewhere, Everything Comes is a reflection on the role of individual stories, as they are born of the universe and quickly dissipate into its embrace — but not before touching the stories of others.

The outside of a free-standing sculptural installation space. It stands eight feet tall and is covered in black cloth. Because of its large size, it does not fit entirely in the frame. A small bit of brown paper can be seen in the gap between the wall of the piece and the door, which are made of two different black textiles.

A hand reaches out to open the door to the space. A pale figure, just a torso and head, can be seen against the back wall. It has no face and is wearing a beige mantle and two necklaces, both including real bones. The figure is on a wooden board which stretches from the left wall to the right one. Also on the board, flanking the figure, are inkpads, handmade leather-bound books, and various candles. A smaller clay figure can be seen by the figure's right hand, cradling a small bowl made from a pumpkin. There are two other pumpkin bowls dangling from twine beneath the board.

a bowl hanging from the ceiling by a string

A pumpkin bowl hanging beneath the board. It is dangling above a metal bucket, and is attached to the board with white twine. There is a chicken femur connecting the twine attached to the pumpkin to the twine attached to the board above.

A view of the figure and board from a lower angle. Smaller clay figures can be seen on either side of the figure, not just by its right hand. The pages of the books that flank the figure are splaying out invitingly. The beige-colored mantle the figure is wearing appears to be somebody's old cargo pants that they cut up to make shorts.

A close-up of the clay sculpted figure by the main figure's right hand. It is terracotta in color, and has only one large eye that takes up the majority of its face. Its arms wrap around a bowl made from a pumpkin, which is empty. Its hands are like mittens, as they do not have fingers other than thumbs. The warm light from the candles surrounding it, which appear to be electric, almost drown the small clay figure out. The main, pale figure seems to have no hands.

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