Artwork copyright AREA C Projects. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2024.

Artwork copyright AREA C Projects. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2024.

Artwork copyright AREA C Projects. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2024.

ENTWINE, 2024

AREA C Projects
Erica Carpenter (American, born 1970); Erik Carlson (American, born 1969)

Location: Washington State University, Pullman

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

ENTWINE by artist team Area C Projects is spread throughout the first three floors of Washington State University's Plant Sciences Building. The four site-specific sculptures mimic the exposed materials of the building's essential systems: such as the electrical, air, and water systems whose pipes and ducts that can be seen throughout the building. The artwork creates spreading, vine-like growths on columns and walls, merging with the building as if it is a host organism to a colorful invasion of curious, plant-like beings. The artwork represents the plant world’s deep entwinement in the fabric of human life. The artists note that the sculptures intentionally blur "the line between where building ends and artwork begins".

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State University.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

AREA C Projects is a studio that focuses on creating public art. Drawing on backgrounds in multi-media installation, architecture, audio composition, performance, and experimental techniques, they create public artworks that reveal our shared surroundings. Their artworks invite deeper engagement on many levels. AREA C Projects is based in Rhode Island and is composed of the artist team Erik Carlson and Erica Carpenter.

Erik Carlson is an Ohio native and a graduate of the University of Virginia who has lived in Rhode Island for more than thirty years. Erica Carpenter is a Rhode Island native and a graduate of Vassar College in New York State and Brown University in Rhode Island. They have been collaborating for over twenty years.