Creative Process

Beverly Penn creates bronze sculptures composed of thousands of small interconnected cast plant forms, each transformed from foraged roadside weeds and invasive species. Using a rogue centrifugal casting process she developed for this purpose, Penn replace the fragile ephemerality of organic matter with the permanence and authority of bronze.

In all casting processes, the original is encased in an investment mold, then fired in a kiln to burn out the original, leaving a precise negative which is filled with molten metal. In the centrifugal process, the force from the rotation pushes the metal into the finest areas, creating incredibly detailed castings. 

Using plant rather than wax originals allows the process to be more carbon neutral because the carbon released from burning out plants goes back into the cycle with no sizable net increase. Many plants won’t stand up to the rigor of centrifugal casting, but generally the native and invasive species in Penn’s sculptures have evolved to withstand harsh environments. In essence and in form, the bronze replaces each plant, and an enduring replica pays homage to the ephemeral original.