Grassman International
I have always had an interest in myths, legends and the mythology that surrounds them. At its core, these stories look to illustrate human beliefs and ideals through simple and easy to understand storytelling. Narratives that use symbolism and otherworldly beings to explore life and death and everything in between.
I have found it fascinating that nearly all ancient cultures include a personification of nature. A figure or form that looks to encapsulate nature and more importantly our relationship to it. Never has there been a greater need or time to rekindle the discussions about this relationship. With this in mind I began my journey into makinging Grass Men.
I have been building and growing living costumes from various different types of flowers, flora and grass. The costumes take up to 3 months to grow and are built in a way that enables them to be worn but also continue to live . Forming a symbiotic relationship between the wearer and the living suit. Over the last 11 years I have gained an extensive range of knowledge around the propagation of these suits. I continue to look to perfect and solve the difficulties encountered in harnessing nature in this way. Over this time I have worked with horticulturalists, gardeners, creative technologists and scientists to change and shape the work I have made. Each of the costumes are used in a performance that becomes the final artistic outcome. Through a hint of mysticism and heavy helpings of absurdity, the work looks to entertain the public and reimagine our relationship with nature.
Through this I have started to reflect on the previous projects and to push forward a complete reimagining of what it is, what it does and how to really explore this initial idea of nature and culture. To take a new approach that puts a local community and the environment in which they live at the centre of the project.
Grassman International is the creation of a living costume kit that can be shipped to any location in the world. A kit, simple enough for it to be grown by people of all ages and with only a basic knowledge of gardening needed. Allowing them to take on a project with as many potential outcomes as there are plants in the world. Each community will grow the costume from their own local flowers and flora, making each suit a visual representation of the environment and ecology in which they are grown. They will also be responsible for the performance, what it is, how it moves and what messages they would like to express to the wider world. A costume grown in South America will look completely different to a costume grown in North Asia. A community in Australia will approach the project differently to a community in Europe and a group from North Africa will create a totally different performance to one in the Middle East. The possibilities are endless.
I’m now on the lookout for various partners to take this project forward. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more.
