18W x 29H x 18D"

Old-Growth Redwood, paper, Acrylic, Nails & Resin

Christi Meril

Artist Statement:

The old-growth redwood at the heart of "What Remains" spent centuries becoming what it is. Its broken edges, crevices, and deep reddish grain remain visible beneath the dark surface of the sculpture. They give the piece a history that could never be made from a newly cut block of wood.

Over a period of years, Christi Meril has worked with a craftsman on Northern California’s
Mendocino Coast, hand selecting sustainably sourced pieces of old-growth redwood. She
chooses each one for its particular form and character, then considers what she can add
without losing what makes the wood extraordinary. In "What Remains," her signature paper and nail sculpture climbs across the redwood. Resin gives the shaped paper a black, reflective finish, while openings reveal the warmth and rough texture beneath it.

The work changes as you walk around it. At one angle the dark paper dominates; at another the redwood comes forward. Meril’s custom designed industrial steel base places those organic and constructed forms in direct conversation. It supports the sculpture without trying to make its edges orderly.

"What Remains" is about giving a treasured material another life while allowing its earlier
one to be seen. The redwood has endured far longer than the paper, nails, resin, or steel
around it. Together, they hold the history of the natural form and the mark of the artist’s
hand.