It’s studio Sunday, and we’re looking inside the studio space of Mari Andrews. Andrews is an American sculptor known for her wall-hanging sculptures that incorporate traditional construction materials as well as natural objects and detritus.

Given how well Andrews’ practice lends itself to experimentation, it’s no surprise that one wall of her studio is completely covered in these strange, intriguing sculptural objects. Andrews views her studio as a changing installation work, with several iterations of the sculptural arrangement appearing on her website. This beautiful wall is definitely what draws me to this image of her studio, and likely the first thing that most visitors see, as well.

The works on the wall sort of remind me of sea life – plankton or coral formations. Evenly spaced on the wall, they really breathe life into a studio that might seem stark otherwise, with white walls and bright fluorescent lighting. I like how cluttered the rest of the studio is as well.

Andrews’ works are an interesting blend of man-made materials and found bits of nature like rocks, lichen growths and dirt. A few instances of natural material collections are visible in this photo, like the bucket full of dry twigs sitting on a table. The use of natural materials makes me think of Sarah Martin.

As for the other materials in her sculptures, the artist has said that she is always collecting things. Whether walking down the sidewalk in a city or strolling on the beach, she’s collecting everything from rusted scraps of metal to seed pods and rocks. All of these items end up in her studio – I wonder if that set of drawers on the right side of the photo is bursting with random objects of interest. 

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