Simon Knuth

“Chronostratigraphy”

Video presentation of 8 sculptural panels constructed from Masonite, wood, insulation foam, latex and acrylic paint, resin, gravel, and various model-making materials.

“Chronostratigraphy deals with the relationship between time and geology through the mediums of sculpture and writing. Eight panels in the style of natural history dioramas with accompanying narration explore how the landscape of Valles Caldera, a site in Northwest New Mexico, has dramatically changed throughout our planet’s history. This project was a natural evolution from previous work that dealt with deep time and the ways that places and organisms change over millennia, though this piece marks a much more involved exploration of far vaster timespans. I chose to put geology at the center of this piece because I think an understanding of this science is crucial to understanding our place on earth, both in space and time. Examining the slow processes that have been building and disassembling the world for 4.6 billion years puts the minuteness of human existence in stark perspective, something that I think is more important than ever when our built world feels to be on the brink of collapse.”

–Simon Knuth

Simon Knuth was nominated to have his work showcased in Hokin Honors by Adam Brooks, Professor of Fine Art at Columbia College Chicago.