A Growing Wonder

Jorge Cainas
A Growing Wonder
2014-2017
Mixed Media
Acrylic, Amethyst Heat Treated, Apache Tears Obsidian, Black Sand, Concrete, Copper Tubing, Copper Wire, Coral collected by the artist in St. Petersburg, FL, Geodes from Mexico, Geodes from Morocco, Glass, Golden Rutilated Quartz with Hematite, Herkimer Diamond Matrix, Smoky Quartz, Smoky Quartz polished by the artist, Double Terminated Tibetan Enhydro Quartz, Lapis Lazuli, Ocean Jasper, Opal from Australia, Pyrite, Pebble from Mexico, Quartz, Selenite, Shark Tooth, Snail Shell collected by the artist in St. Petersburg, FL, Shells with unordinary barnacle growth collected by the artist in St. Petersburg, FL after hurricane Matthew, White Aragonite
 
Typical asking price direct from the artist: $1,300
 
Artist Statement: This art piece pays homage to the notion that as the natural beauty of the world diminishes the wonder and awe derived from seeing it increases.
 
A majority of these natural materials are semi-precious and of course inherently rare substances. However, I used quite a few materials that are becoming increasingly more rare.
 
Ocean Jasper is a type of mineral found only in northwestern Madagascar. The two specimens I use in this piece are from the vein near the village of Marovato, which has been completely mined out. Meaning there is no longer any more of the mineral in the place of its origin. Lapis Lazuli, which comes from Afghanistan, is beginning to be seen as a “conflict mineral” due to the illegal mining and sale of the mineral by militants including the Taliban. Copper, a common material in my work, is predicted to run out before the year 2050. The coral, shark tooth and shells reference the natural beauty of living organisms within nature.