My work this fall was centered around my senior thesis. This semester I endeavored to research prehistoric animals and create new series of work based on this research. My first series is titled The Dryads. These animals are modeled after the earliest known horse from about 45 million years ago, called Propaleotherium. The sculptures are life size, as the Propaleotherium was only about 22 inches at the shoulder. I decided to use molds for these pieces so that I would be able to make a whole herd.
Skittish and small, the Propaleotherium reflects the fragility of early mammal life on earth after the extinction of the dinosaurs. For me, these animals embody their ancient environment and act as the spirits within the trees of the prehistoric forests that are lost today.
Some of these pieces were also photographed in the woods near my home in Texas. Placing them in this environment allowed me to see them in their true place among untouched and wild nature.
Ariel Bowman Ceramics 