Looking Outward 07

Rachel Binx, CA Coastline Ring, 2016

For this week’s Looking Outward, I looked at Rachel Binx’s CA Coastline Ring. In order to create the work, she appropriated the outline of the California coast, wrapped it into a circle, and used that pattern to create a ring. I find this so interesting because I have an intense curiosity about the interaction between the natural world and artistic practice as a whole: whether this be in medium, subject, or otherwise. I found it clever how Binx decided to cast the ring in gold, considering the history of the gold rush in California. I think that this is a great example of the way in which content can dictate form, and vice versa. In terms of its value as a visualization tool, I’m not sure if it would be recognizable as the coast of California to the average person. That being said, as a personal memento, or even as an object to someone with prior knowledge, I can see the ways in which this ring would more than successfully serve its owner. This unconventional application of the natural world without a doubt peaks my interest.