Cornucopias, 2019-2020

Cornucopia 1 (Apples, Pears, Lemons and Grapes),
Cornucopia 2 (Apples, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Pomegranates and Grapes),
Cornucopia 3 (Pomegranates, Dragonfruits, Soursops, King Mandarin and Grapes),
Cornucopia 4 (Starfruits, Mangos, Pears, Oranges, Bananas, Berries and Grapes), and
Cornucopia 5 (Cherries, Apples Oranges, Bananas, Lemons and Berries)

Plastic, steel, wire, rubber, adhesive
Size variable

Vibrant piles of fruit were created from plastic and rubber replicas purchased from kitchen supply stores and home décor shops. Many of the fruits displayed cannot be grown or cultivated here. Combining visual cues from bowls of decorative produce displayed in restaurants, offerings at shrines/temples and elaborate presentations of fruits as gifts, Cornucopias examines how artificial substitutes are utilized as a stand-in for their organic counterparts.

Cornucopias and Offerings to Both Past and Future are two components of Abundance, a project featuring sculptural, photographic, and installation-based works. Abundance positions fruit as a metaphor for the dreams and labour that extends across oceans and generations. The series looks at how we connect to the spiritual and natural world through the objects that we imbue with meaning.

Installation photos by Matthew Hayes. Abundance, Artspace Peterbrough, 2020.