With her gigantic, hulking sculptures made of common and discarded materials, Phoebe Washburn (*1973) has taken her own place in the art scene. The New York artist combines countless numbers of cardboard boxes or thousands of pieces of scrap wood to form enormous installations, to which she adds things like living plants and a nurturing system made of earth, tarpaulins, and pipes. Considering her use of rubbish, Washburn’s work is often regarded as a political statement or interpreted as a reflection of our society of excess, but she is far more interested in the design of vital, dynamic structures.
This catalogue documents a work commissioned by the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin—what the artist calls a “plant factory.” For the first time, the artist will also integrate mechanics into a work, with her use of a conveyor belt. The publication includes extensive information on Washburn’s artistic career and the process of creating the Berlin installation. This book is only available in German.
 
Exhibition schedule: Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin, July 14–October 14,2007